Alleged Illegal Export of Elephants

 The March 2013 Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force Newsletter has reported the apparent illegal export of captive elephant and lion by the Victoria Falls Elephant Experience across the river to Zambia for use in elephant-back safaris and captive-animal interactions by the Mukuni Big 5 Experience:

"ALLEGED ILLEGAL EXPORT OF ELEPHANTS

"It has been rumoured that Elephant Experience in Victoria Falls have been exporting elephants to Zambia across the Zambezi under cover of darkness. We have also heard that they have been smuggling lion cubs across the border in the boot of a car. They are apparently assisted by Chief Mukuni who has a lodge on the Zambian side called Mukuni Big 5 Lodge.

"The Victoria Falls community has always had concerns about the location of Elephant Experience and due to this, in 2007, a meeting was held between Environment Africa, Environmental Management Agency, ZNSPCA, Victoria Falls Council and National Parks. Their concerns were about the degradation of the land occupied by Elephant Experience and lack of feeding and freedom for the elephants to express their natural behaviour. The conclusion of the meeting was that Elephant Experience had to find other, or more land but due to their contacts with the ruling party, nothing has ever been resolved." (available online here)

Whilst it remains to be seen if these are wild rumours or substantiated facts, the Elephant Experience operated from Victoria Falls has, as the reference states, been subject of much discussion and debate over the years. The operator originally gained permission to home a restricted number of captive elephants on a site just outside the Upper Zambezi National Park some years ago. Whilst the EIA stipulated a maximum number of elephants to limit impacts on the vegetation, it is understood that this maximum number has been exceeded for many years, and there has been widespread concern over the degradation of the site as a result. It is currently believed they have 11 captive elephants held on the site.

The owner, Basil Steyn, is a character of some note, as can be seen by any Google search. In 2009 it was uncovered that 10 elephants had been secretly captured from the wild the previous year in order to be trained into the tourism industry and were being held on Basil Steyn's Sondelani Ranch. Permits had been quietly obtained for the capture of 8 of the animals (two had been captured illegally). After the intervention of the ZNSPC it is believed these elephants were successfully released back into the wild. The discovery of the captured elephants followed the capture of twelve wild elephant calves from Hwange National Park in 2006 by Victoria Falls based tourism operator Shearwater Adventures, again for training into the elephant-back safari industry. These elephants still remain in captivity in Victoria Falls.

In 2009 Steyn exported seven elephants to Zambia, reportedly a gift authorised by the President of Zimbabwe, for the establishment of the Mukuni Big 5 captive-animal experience. 

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (13/11/2006) Outcry over capture of wild elephants.