Episode 582 - Marco Pani || Elephant Management In Zimbabwe

Thu Aug 07 2025

Marco Pani, Director of Conservation Programming for Conservation Force, joins Robbie to discuss their behind-the-scenes conservation work on wide-ranging issues, such as the import-export of trophies, state-level game management and CITES. More specifically, the two dive deep in to their work with elephants in Zimbabwe and more - all from the floor of the inaugural Dallas Safari Club Summer Expo. Conservation Force is a little known organization that has done a yeoman's effort supporting government agencies all across the world in conservation, management of willdife, and policies and regulations of trade of wildlife.

Summary

The Origins Foundation Podcast: Episode 582 - Marco Pani || Elephant Management In Zimbabwe

Release Date: August 7, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 582 of The Origins Foundation Podcast, host Mike Axelrod welcomes Marco Pani, the Director of Conservation Programming for Conservation Force, a prominent non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation. The episode delves deep into the complexities of elephant management in Zimbabwe, exploring the interplay between conservation policies, hunting regulations, and community engagement.

1. Marco Pani and Conservation Force

Marco Pani introduces himself and outlines the multifaceted role of Conservation Force. Established in the United States as a 501(c)(3) organization, Conservation Force has been instrumental for over three decades in facilitating the import and export of trophies, collaborating with state governments on management plans, and investing in diverse conservation projects globally.

“Conservation Force is a program of ucn. This [is] the Trade Record Analysis of Wild Fauna and Flora Commerce, and is the Monitoring Wildlife Trade Monitoring Program.” [05:10]

2. Early Career and Involvement with CITES

Pani shares his extensive background, beginning in the late 1980s with TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring program under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). From 1988 to 1994, he played a pivotal role in drafting Italy's SATIS legislation, which led to the implementation of seven decrees enhancing wildlife trade regulations.

“I drafted the SATIS legislation of Italy. The law brought to parliament approved seven implementation decrees for Italy's procedure.” [05:22]

3. IUCN Red List Reclassification and Its Implications

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the 2022 reclassification of African elephants in the IUCN Red List. Marco critiques the methodology employed, highlighting that savannah elephants were classified as both endangered and vulnerable, a decision influenced by political and non-transparent processes within the IUCN.

“They reclassified, reassess the elephants in the IUCN Red List, and they split them into two species. Savannah and forest. And they put the savannah elephant as endangered and the forest elephant as critically endangered.” [30:16]

Pani emphasizes the flaws in this assessment, noting that new surveys indicating a larger elephant population were disregarded, maintaining restrictive classifications that hinder conservation efforts.

“There was a new surveying that showed that there were not few thousand elephants, but 50,000 elephants in the bone. I use CITES, not move a finger to update, change the classification.” [35:27]

4. Impact of Ivory Trade Ban on Southern Africa

The ban on ivory trade in 1989 had profound consequences for southern African countries reliant on ivory revenues for conservation. Marco explains how the cessation of ivory trade led to financial strain, undermining anti-poaching efforts and accelerating rhino population declines in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

“Ivory trade was the main funding available for conservation. And then the crocodile skins, rhinoceroses, ostriches and the like were invented in southern Africa.” [13:12]

5. Conservation Efforts and Management Plans in Zimbabwe

In response to dwindling elephant populations and increased poaching, Marco details Conservation Force's initiatives in Zimbabwe starting in 2014. These efforts included organizing workshops and facilitating the creation of comprehensive elephant management plans across various regions.

“In September, October 2014, we started everything with a CAMPFIRE workshop. The objective was to prepare the National Elephant Management Plan.” [49:46]

Pani highlights the success achieved by implementing these management plans, noting substantial increases in elephant populations in regions like northwest Matabeleland and stabilization efforts in areas like Cebungwe.

“Northwest Matabeleland has reached in excess of 60,000 elephants from 50,000 in 2014.” [43:34]

6. Challenges in Elephant Management and Human-Elephant Conflict

Despite positive trends, human-elephant conflict remains a significant challenge. Increasing human populations and habitat encroachment limit the available space for elephants, particularly in East Africa. Marco underscores the delicate balance between maintaining viable elephant populations and preserving their habitats amidst growing human settlements.

“The dilemma is this, how to maintain a viable elephant population and to maintain habitat at the same time.” [46:07]

7. The Role of Hunting in Conservation and Habitat Preservation

Marco presents a compelling argument for the role of regulated hunting in conservation. He reveals that hunting concessions cover over 1.2 million square kilometers in SADC countries, double the area designated as protected. According to Pani, hunting revenues are crucial for habitat conservation, surpassing the financial contributions from national parks and photo tourism.

“The main activity which is conserving habitat is hunting. We discovered that in selected SADC countries, we have more than 1 million square kilometers of hunting concessions compared to 600,000 square kilometers of protected area.” [46:07]

He advocates for recognizing hunting as a responsible conservation tool, emphasizing that honest hunters and organizations strive to maximize positive impacts while minimizing negative ones.

“The honest hunters and the honest organization are always trying to isolate these cases. And I would say there are less and less in the last decade.” [48:08]

8. Recent Developments and Future Plans

Looking ahead, Marco expresses optimism about recent improvements in the Fish and Wildlife Service's approach to conservation science. He anticipates that enhanced management practices will pave the way for renewed conservation efforts and policy adjustments, aiming to shift the focus from endangered species to preserving entire ecosystems.

“Our mantra is how we can conserve spaces because if we have spaces, we have species. Without spaces, we have no species.” [63:25]

Pani envisions a future where space conservation, alongside community coexistence, becomes the cornerstone of wildlife management, ensuring sustainable habitats for elephants and other species.

Conclusion

Episode 582 provides an in-depth exploration of elephant management in Zimbabwe, highlighting the intricate relationship between international regulations, on-the-ground conservation efforts, and the role of hunting in preserving wildlife habitats. Marco Pani's insights underscore the importance of transparent, science-based policies and the need for collaborative approaches to ensure the long-term survival of African elephants.

“If we have spaces, we have species. Without spaces, we have no species.” [63:25]

Notable Quotes

“Conservation Force is a program of ucn. This [is] the Trade Record Analysis of Wild Fauna and Flora Commerce, and is the Monitoring Wildlife Trade Monitoring Program.” — Marco Pani [05:10]
“They reclassified, reassess the elephants in the IUCN Red List, and they split them into two species. Savannah and forest. And they put the savannah elephant as endangered and the forest elephant as critically endangered.” — Marco Pani [30:16]
“The honest hunters and the honest organization are always trying to isolate these cases. And I would say there are less and less in the last decade.” — Marco Pani [48:08]
“Our mantra is how we can conserve spaces because if we have spaces, we have species. Without spaces, we have no species.” — Marco Pani [63:25]

Timestamp Highlights

05:10 – Marco discusses his role and early work with CITES and TRAFFIC.
30:16 – Reclassification of elephants in the IUCN Red List.
35:27 – Discrepancies in elephant population data and IUCN's response.
46:07 – The balance between elephant population growth and habitat preservation.
48:08 – The importance of hunting in conservation funding.
63:25 – Future vision focusing on space conservation.

Final Thoughts

This episode sheds light on the critical issues surrounding elephant conservation in Zimbabwe, the impact of international policies, and the essential role of various stakeholders in ensuring the sustainability of these majestic creatures. Marco Pani's expertise provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and triumphs in wildlife management, advocating for informed and collaborative efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats.