In Zimbabwe, the area occupied by national parks, safari areas, recreational parks sad sanctuaries (collectively called the Wildlife Estate) totals about 47000 km2, or 12.5 percent of the total land area. This area is the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and is managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management (DNPWLM) which is also responsible for wildlife resources throughout the country, including commercial and communal areas.

There are few controlled data with which to assess the conservation role of corridors connecting refuges. If corridors were used sufficiently, they could alleviate threats from inbreeding depression and demographic stochasticity. For species that require more resources than are available in single refuges, a network of refuges connected by corridors may allow persistence.

Against the backdrop of the increasing popularity of ecotourism and the dramatic loss of tigers due to lack of funding, mismanagement, population and development pressures as well as poaching, this article finds that the present policies benefit neither conservation nor local communities.