ABSTRACT

The Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC) is a large (3442km2) cooperatively managed wildlife area, comprising multiple properties held by private ranchers, local councils, government and one community. The conservancy is located in the semi-arid South East Lowveld of Zimbabwe, occurring at an elevation of 480–620m, with deciduous woodland savanna, low and variable rainfall (474–540mm per annum) and poor-quality soils. The conservancy is bordered primarily by high-density communal land (of between 11 and 82 people per km2), with some commercial agriculture to the south and east (Pole, 2006).