Chipinge holds World Rhino Day celebrations

BY TRUST BVARANGA

CHIPINGE district in Zimbabwe on November 8, 2024 commemorated a belated World Rhino Day with a quiz competition held at Mutema Secondary School. The event, organised by ZimParks’ Chipinge Safari Area, aimed to raise awareness about wildlife conservation, promote domestic tourism, and improve park-community relations.

Five schools participated in the quiz competition, which was attended by hundreds of people from the community, Save Valley Conservancy, and government departments. The event was held under the theme “Building a future for rhinos.”

The quiz competition covered six thematic areas, including rhino information, biodiversity and wildlife conservation, parks and wildlife estates and heritage sites, wildlife law and crimes, human-wildlife conflicts, and general knowledge. Mutema Secondary School emerged as the winner of the competition.

The guest of honor, Ms. Lisa Jane Campbell of Chishakwe Ranch in Save Valley Conservancy, was represented by Mr. Victor Chibaya of the African Wildlife Conservation Fund. Ms. Campbell, who initiated the global World Rhino Day event in 2010, expressed her pride and happiness that the event was still being commemorated, particularly in the Chipinge area.

“I am so happy and proud that the event still lives and especially that it still lives in our area. I would love to come and visit your conservation area one day so that we can try to help promote it as well,” she said.

Councillor Dzambo, who represented the Rural District Council (RDC), applauded ZimParks for hosting the event in Mutema community and urged all present to join hands in protecting Zimbabwe’s wildlife heritage for economic development and achieving Vision 2030.

The event also featured poems, drama, and exhibitions from school students and community members, which complemented the sustainable conservation message. Exhibitions included wildlife pictures, trophies, traditional hunting tools, paintings, crafts, agriculture crops, and old radios and televisions.