A professional hunter operating along the Zambezi Valley in the Kanyemba area was on Monday accused of illegally poaching a hippopotamus.
The hunter, Michael Muller, was forced to respond to charges of poaching during the trial of a safari operator, Terrence Kelly, who is accused of dissembling bait.
Kelly, who is the director of Suscaden Investments operating Fisheries Concession, is accused of removing bait, cameras and snares used by Big Five Concession clients to hunt a lion.
Kelly, who is being represented by Everson Chatambudza, is denying the offence.
The safari operator submitted that in terms of the lease agreement entered into by Parks Authority and his company in September 2017, the place where the bait was put is prohibited for hunting purposes.
During trial, Muller who was under cross examination from Kelly's lawyer admitted in court that the bait was put in an area that is designated as a non-hunting area as it is near an airstrip.
Muller also admitted that, according to the lease and the site map of the area, hunting was prohibited.
Chatambudza also showed Muller a form in which they declared the wild animals they would have killed to the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
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"On this declaration form you declared only two hippopotamus in actual fact you killed three, where is the declaration of the third one?," Chatambudza asked.
"Yes, l only saw two on this declaration but it's not mine," Muller replied.
"So you poached the third one right," Chatambudza further asked.
“l have no comment on that," Muller replied.
Chatambudza also asked Muller on why they put that bait at 7:30pm when the place is not allowed for visitors after 6pm.
Muller could not answer, and Chatambudza followed up with another question saying he should admit that they were into illegal hunting.
The state had accused Kelly of stealing the camera and bait, but Chatambudza asked Muller what they observed when they arrived at the place where they set their bait.
Muller said they found a note written: "No hunting area".
"You saw a note to say no hunting area, does that not show the intention of removing the camera was not to steal but to inform you.
"He could have cut it and thrown it into the river. He reported the matter to Parks and the Police where he handed over the camera, does that show any intention to steal?," Chatambudza asked.
Another witness Richard Chapoto told the court that Kelly is their neighbour who operates his businesses at the periphery of Zambezi River that falls within their area.
He told the court that his company did paperwork for their client to hunt a lion.
Chatambudza accused Chapoto of lying before the court that the area they put snares were of his employer.
According to the map and the lease submitted in court as exhibit hunting is not permitted in the leased area.
The State alleges that on September 8, 2017, Kelly’s company signed a lease agreement with the Parks Authority to undertake safari tourism activities.
It is alleged on August 10, 2023, a professional hunter Clifton Walker submitted a hunting permit to kill a lion and a leopard in the Big five Concession (Chewore North).
On the same date, Walker was assigned a Parks Authority game ranger to guide him in abiding by the permit.
The professional hunter killed a hippopotamus, and set baits at strategic points with the guidance of rangers.
Walker allegedly also set up a motion sensor camera to the hanging bait.
It is alleged that on August 15, 2023, the accused unlawfully entered the safari area where Walker had set the bait, chopped down the hanging bait and took the motion sensor camera with its 32GB memory card.
