Woman keeps over 45 wild animals at home

A BORROWDALE woman has reportedly turned her home into an animal sanctuary and is keeping more than 45 wild animals in violation of city by-laws.

Lisa Patricia Hywood (44), a Briton with Zimbabwean citizenship, is the founder of Tikki Hywood Trust which used to operate at the family's farm in Mazowe before it was acquired by Government at the height of the land reform programme.

Investigations have so far established that Hywood was keeping three African civet cats, seven African wildcats, five large spotted genet, two servals, 20 Southern African hedgehogs, three steinboks, three bat eared foxes, one Cape pangolin and one aardwolf, at her home.

Sources close to the investigations yesterday said they recently received complaints from residents that the animals were making a lot of noise in the area.

A raid was carried out at her home leading to the recovery of the animals.
Hywood allegedly said she had acquired permits from the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority sometime last year to receive and rehabilitate certain animals at her home.

However, Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi said keeping wild animals in residential areas was not permitted under city by-laws.

"It is totally illegal to keep animals in residential areas and the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority must collect these animals with immediate effect because some of them are very rare," he said.

Mr Gwindi said Hywood was violating the Wildlife Act.
However, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager, Mrs Caroline Washaya Moyo, yesterday confirmed that the Tikki Hywood Trust had a permit.

"In this case the application was to keep wildlife at a particular site. The Tikki Hywood Trust receives stray, injured and orphaned animals which they later rehabilitate. When they reach a certain age they are released into the wild. The authority works with the trust on a number of species especially the pangolin. Noone is allowed to keep wildlife at their premises without a permit," she said.

She said the procedure was that an individual or institution submits their application to the authority stating their intentions and objectives.

Ms Washaya-Moyo said the authority would then send a researcher to assess the property and make recommendations.

"The recommendations include how many animals the property can accommodate. The researcher makes recommendations which are then approved by the authority. An annual permit is then issued.

The permit is periodically reviewed and officers from the authority are constantly sent to assess weather any conditions have been breached. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority reserved the right to renew or cancel the licence," she said.

The Herald visited Hywood's home on Tuesday and was denied entry by Ms Ellen Connell, a zoologist.
"It is not my place and I cannot allow you inside since the owner is not around. And I can't comment over the issue," said Ms Connell.

She, however, confirmed that there were animals at the home.

"We are the only organisation permitted to release animals to the National Parks," Ms Connell said.

Residents of the area alleged that several people, especially foreigners, would often visit the place and it was not clear the type of business they were conducting at the home-turned animal sanctuary.

Hywood, sources allege,  also receives funds from sponsors.