Beitbridge Poacher Jailed 10 Months for Killing US$3k Zebra

A 28-year-old man who illegally hunted and killed a zebra valued at US$3,000 at Sentinel Ranch in Beitbridge has been jailed for an effective 10 months.

Smile Moyo was convicted of illegal hunting by the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that on October 14, 2026, Moyo and his accomplice, Ntshengedzeni Tshabalala, who is still at large, unlawfully entered Sentinel Ranch at Border Ridge Farm in Beitbridge and set Class One wire snares.

The snares killed a male zebra.

Game scouts spotted the pair inspecting the snares and apprehended Moyo, while Tshabalala escaped.

A hunting knife was recovered from Moyo, who then led the scouts to the zebra’s carcass.

Officers from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority in Beitbridge confirmed the carcass and issued a certificate for use in court proceedings.

The court sentenced Moyo to six months’ imprisonment and activated a previously suspended four-month sentence, bringing his effective prison term to 10 months.