Tembanechako Mastick, once a poacher of wild animals, has transformed into a preacher against poaching in southeast Zimbabwe. Recently, he and a group of men were searching for a hyena den that had previously attacked local livestock. During the search, Mastick reflected on his past experiences as a hunter, which he turned to after droughts made farming increasingly difficult.
His turning point came late last year when he was arrested for illegally hunting in the Save Valley Conservancy, one of Africa’s largest private game reserves. After spending nearly three months in jail, a program designed to rehabilitate poachers helped reshape his views on wildlife conservation. Today, at the den site, he discouraged his companions from harming the hyenas, focusing instead on promoting reliance on agriculture for sustenance.
Mastick emphasized that poaching is ultimately a selfish act that benefits only the individual while conservation can benefit the entire community, particularly through eco-tourism. He highlighted the growing conflicts between wildlife and humans, exacerbated by habitat loss due to droughts, illegal hunting, and agricultural expansion. As elephants and predators increasingly threaten livestock, villagers have resorted to makeshift defenses against wildlife.
The Zimbabwean parks agency has reported a surge in distress calls regarding wildlife encounters, with the average annual calls rising sharply. Mastick noted that competing for resources has become a pressing issue as both humans and wildlife struggle to survive amidst diminishing supplies.
Nurtured by land reforms that intruded on wildlife territories, Mastick observed a significant decline in local wildlife populations, resulting in increased human-wildlife conflict. The area’s environmental challenges, compounded by climate change, have heightened these conflicts, leading to two competing groups struggling for survival—humans and the wildlife.
Despite his painful experiences losing livestock to predators, Mastick strives to educate his community on the futility of retaliatory killings. His insights are significantly informed by his time in jail, where he experienced the hardships of being incarcerated and learned new skills such as carpentry, providing him a new means of livelihood.
Now, he runs a workshop producing furniture, which has become popular with both tourists and locals. By sharing his transformation story, he has gained credibility among villagers, leading to a noticeable decrease in poaching within his community. Mastick serves as an inspirational figure, encouraging others to pursue alternatives to poaching for their livelihood, thereby promoting a new ethos of conservation and community cooperation.