After public outcry over Zimbabwe potentially allowing Chinese companies to mine for coal in areas that would impact precious wildlife — including #SaveHwangeNationalPark trending on Twitter — the country’s government has announced it will ban coal mining in its national parks, reported the BBC.
This decision will protect lands that are home to some of the rarest wildlife on earth, including the endangered black rhino and more than 40,000 elephants that live in Hwange National Park, which is the largest national park in the country and has the most diverse mammal species in the world.
“This is one of the greatest game parks in the world and the mines would be in one of the most pristine areas of the park,” Trevor Lane, a worker for conservation organization Bhejane Trust in Hwange, told The Guardian.
Environmental advocates and conservationists rallied together after learning that the Zimbabwe Government had given two Chinese firms permission to explore for coal in Hwange National Park in a joint venture with a state-owned mining company in Zimbabwe. It then came to light that mining activity was already happening in some national parks, according to MSN.
All mining titles in the country were immediately canceled on September 8, the government announced.
In court papers, the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyer’s Association stated that coal mining activity would mean clearing land, building roads, drilling and other activities that would lead to “ecological degradation” and significantly harm wildlife.
Tourism in Zimbabwe’s national parks is a major source of income for the country, and safari operators and environmentalists said mining would hurt tourism as well.
Although the government has said it is canceling mining titles, environmental groups want the leaders to go a step further and implement a new law that makes mining in national parks explicitly illegal. Until that happens, advocates worry that mining might start again in the future.

THANK YOU ZIMBABWE !!! THANK YOU. Yes stand your grounds & don’t allow the Far Eastern Asian countries Greedy obsessions to over power your Natural beautiful wild animals existence. Greedy countries will destroy the Africa’s beautiful wilderness & will completely ruin their foreign exchange impact. Hundreds of thousands of Tourists visits African countries to visit the National Parks & the Natural wild life (through Safari) .PROTECT THE WILD ANIMALS & THEY ARE YOUR LIFE LINE…
Once again, that gut-wrenchingly vile, barbaric, sadistic, cess-pit country CHINA wants to destroy all that stands in its way. Thank you Zimbabwe for saying NO to that god-forsaken country CHINA. China does NOT give a damn about any species that it destroys, abuses, kills or eats, all that country is interested in is money-grabbing profits.
Thank you Zimbabwe you did the right chioce the chinese dont care about you only money evil race.
Zimbabwe please look after you wildlife make you country a tourist trap you will make lots of money
and people around the world will go.Remember
Animal Lives Matter
love from uk
please help
This is a wonderful decision. Thanku.
Motherfucker beast y don’t wanna that continue the dead the Rhino Black beast without brain son of bitch
Fabulous. Good for black rhino good for environment. Thank you.
At last!!!
As always, thanks for all you do for these beautiful souls. Also, thanks for the info regarding the disposable face masks. I’ll get the word out.
Zimbabwe finally says NO to stinking China!!!
Yes!!
Good!
About time but remember MONEY – GREED will always be greater then GOD and the name of Black Rhinos could also be deemed as Racist which means they might have to spray paint all Rhinos in Gold. Dog Bless. [email protected] Where is General Amin?
Thank God they saw sense. And thank God to everyone who signed the petitions!
This is great news and a big step forward for the wildlife! Thank you God!
So, again, the Chinese wanted to rape a pristine environment and endangered many animal species. Thank you Zimbabwe for standing up to the greedy thugs.
So, again, the Chinese wanted to rape a pristine environment and endangered many animal species. Thank you Zimbabwe for standing up to the greedy thugs.
THT NEEDS T B STOPPED IMMEDIATELY
PLEASE LORD DO NOT LET THIS TRANSPIRE IN T NAME OF JESUS
Goddamn chineses they want to ruin every thing….Thank you government to ban those people who have no respect for animal lives as long as humane lives