HARARE, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - A renowned wildlife conservancy in Zimbabwe has been invaded by pro-Robert Mugabe militia who have demanded the owner vacate the property, an anti-poaching organisation said Thursday.

About a dozen militia members went to the Imire Safari Ranch in Hwedza district east of the capital on Wednesday and demanded the owner leave by the next day, said John Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

Their visit was the second to the farm after having gone there on Sunday and demanded the owner kill three impalas (antelopes) for them to eat, according to the organisation. The owner first refused, but later complied after they threatened to burn down the conservancy.

The farm, run by Norman Travers for more than three decades, is a sanctuary for more than 1,300 animals, housing nearly all species found in the region, including the endangered black rhino.

'Last night (Wednesday), the war veterans went ... to the farm and asked him to move out, but we have informed the authorities and are waiting to hear what they say,' Rodrigues told AFP.

The war veterans are groups of hardline supporters of Mugabe, who was re-elected as president in a widely denounced one-man poll last week.

Set up in 1972, Imire is a private ranch that has been designated by the country's parks and wildlife authorities as a breeding zone for the endangered black rhinocerous.

The 10,000-acre ranch situated 105 kilometres (66 miles) east of Harare is also home to elephants, zebras and a host of other wildlife which are bred at the farm and later released into the wild.

Travers could not be reached for comment.

The incident comes after reports earlier this week of a number of attacks against farmers who have resisted the seizure of their land.

Mugabe embarked on a land reform programme at the turn of the decade which saw some 4,000 white-owned farms expropriated by the state.

The 84-year-old leader pushed ahead with his one-man election last Friday after opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai dropped out, citing rising violence against his supporters.