ZIMPARKS URGES GRADUATES TO CHAMPION WILDLIFE PROTECTION

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has called on graduates in wildlife law and policy to play a leading role in safeguarding the country’s rich biodiversity amid growing environmental threats.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the nature extant learning centre class of 2025 held this weekend, Zimparks Director-General Professor Edson Gandiwa, said the newly qualified professionals have a crucial responsibility to ensure that conservation laws are effectively implemented and upheld.

“Wildlife law and policy is not merely an academic pursuit; it is a calling,” he said.

“It demands courage, integrity and vision. In a world where biodiversity faces unprecedented threats, your expertise will be vital in ensuring that our laws are not just words on paper, but living instruments of protection and justice.”

The ceremony celebrated graduates who completed Wildlife Law and specialised training aimed at strengthening Zimbabwe’s capacity in wildlife governance, conservation policy and environmental protection.

The Zimparks chief highlighted the importance of protecting the country’s globally recognised ecosystems, noting that wildlife resources remain under constant threat from poaching, habitat destruction, climate change and human-wildlife conflict.

“From the elephants of Hwange to the rhinos of Matobo, our ecosystems are treasures of global significance,” he said.

“Yet these treasures are vulnerable. Poaching, habitat loss, climate change and human-wildlife conflict challenge us daily.

“The diploma you receive today equips you to confront these challenges with knowledge, skill and resolve.”

He emphasised that the graduates’ training had been designed to equip them with key competencies needed in conservation law and governance.

“Your training has prepared you in three critical ways, legal literacy, ethical grounding and practical application. Law and policy are, however, only as strong as the people who uphold them,” he said.

“You will be called upon to breathe life into these frameworks and ensure that they serve both wildlife and communities.”

Source