Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit mourns Clever Kapandura

On Friday 8th October, following a report of a possible poaching incident with GPS coordinates of a carcass, the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit lost its dedicated member Clever Kapandura and is commiserating with his family and acquaintances.

As a response to the alert on the day in question, VFAPU deployed a team of anti-poaching scouts to investigate the scene. Clever Kapandura, as the operations coordinator for the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, and being the passionate and committed leader he was, decided to go out and join the team on the ground to investigate the scene. Whilst following the GPS Coordinates, the team noticed an Elephant Bull a substantial distance away.

For some unknown reason, the Elephant Bull charged from approximately 120 meters, and the team of three scouts had to split up. Despite following all the prescribed evasive action in an elephant charge situation, the animal continued its charge and sadly intercepted Clever. His fellow scouts managed to scare the elephant off and called for support, but by the time the ambulance arrived Clever had succumbed to his injuries sustained in the tragic incident.

Clever Kapandura joined Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit from its inception in 1999 when the unit was formed. His experience and commitment to the tourism and conservation sector spanned over 32 years, having been part of the original Wilderness Safaris team when the company first began in 1990 before moving across to dedicate his life to wildlife conservation. Clever was a kind, dedicated, passionate, and well-respected member of the Victoria Falls community, and the wider tourism community within Zimbabwe, and is considered by so many as one of the region’s conservation heroes.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic and senseless loss of our friend and colleague. Clever leaves behind a family, and we at Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit would like to extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to the entire Kapandura family, and to all who knew Clever, had the pleasure of working with him, and loved him.

“In due course, as a tribute to Clever, we will be releasing details of a fundraiser for those who wish to assist his wife and his children which he leaves behind. Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit would like to kindly request for the Media to respectfully refrain from any further attempts to contact the Kapandura Family or Victoria Falls AntiPoaching Unit and their team of scouts as they grieve and come to terms with the loss of their family member, colleague, and friend,” the VFAPU said in a statement.