Dale Doré and Ivan Bond 325These contributions where supplemented by the sustained efforts of Professor
Marshall Murphree and his colleagues at the Centre for Applied Social Sciences
at the University of Zimbabwe, who carried out a number of studies on the
local management of wildlife resources (Cutshall 1989; Nabane and Matzke
1996; Murphree 1997).
The Zimbabwe Trust provided organisational development and institutional
support to the Ward Wildlife Committee through its process-oriented
monitoring system and by persuading the council to devolve greater powers
to the committee. In addition, various donors, most prominently the United
States Agency for International Development and the Norwegian International
Development Agency, have funded community facilities (grinding mill, store)
and projects (ploughing, transport), while Ingwe Safaris have contributed
significantly to general community welfare from providing meat and ferrying
the sick to buying ploughs and supplying a diesel tank. This support, and the
financial benefits that have accrued from wildlife management, has helped
effect a complete change in attitude and behaviour of the people of Kanyurira
towards wildlife (Dyson 1998). The political and economic turmoil in Zimbabwe,
since the study was carried out, has seen the withdrawal of international
assistance and the demise of the campfire programme.SPORT HUNTING OF ELEPHANT
When CAMPFIRE was first introduced to Guruve, the council decided to involve
itself directly in managing the sport hunting lease, an experiment which proved
both inefficient and expensive (Jansen 1990). As a result, in 1991, the council put
the hunting lease out to tender, which was won by Ingwe Safaris, an experienced
private hunting safari company that subsequently had its contract extended in- In 1998, Ingwe Safaris were operating with a staff contingent of 30, all men,
including four professional hunters. Under the terms and conditions of the contract,
the council granted Ingwe Safaris the exclusive right to hunt wildlife within a
prescribed area (Guruve South and East), which includes Kanyurira.
The value of the hunting lease is based on the type, number and value of
animals that may be taken in a particular area. This ‘hunting quota’ is set by
the Department of National Parks and Wildlife based on the counting and
monitoring of wildlife. Once it is satisfied that a particular number of animals,
including elephant, can be hunted on a sustainable basis, the department
issues the council with a hunting quota. However, in terms of the council’s
agreement with the safari operator, this quota is transferred to Ingwe Safaris.
Finally, the safari operator, through international marketing, sells a ‘hunt’ to
foreign clients, usually from Europe and America. Each hunt will last from one
to three weeks, during which time the hunter (client) will pay to shoot a
number of different animals (trophies) listed on the hunting quota. The client
pays two fees, the price of the ‘trophy’ (the animal hunted) and the ‘daily
rate’, or the cost of hunting, which includes transport, accommodation,
professional fees, etc. While tuskless female elephants are sometimes shot,
mature bull elephants are most highly prized by sport hunters.
Although elephant can be hunted throughout the year, the main hunting
season stretches from May to September, when 79% of elephant are taken
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