Elephant and cheetah experience: exploring Zimbabwe’s culling legacy

FOR over 25 years, the Elephant and Cheetah Experience in Victoria Falls has been a hub of conservation, tourism and adventure.

This unique facility offers visitors the chance to interact with some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife, blending education with unforgettable experiences.

Located near the Zambezi National Park gate, the facility is home to domesticated lions, cheetahs and elephants, making it a near-complete showcase of the Big Five, missing only buffalo and rhino.

Founded by wildlife expert and director Mr Basil Steyn, the Elephant and Cheetah Experience began as a sanctuary for orphaned and drought-stricken elephants.

Over the years, it has expanded to include cheetahs and lions, transforming into a must-visit destination for both local and international tourists.

The facility now boasts a herd of eight elephants comprising three bulls and five females, two cheetahs and three lions, many of which were rescued and rehabilitated.

Guided by a mission of conservation and ethical animal interactions, visitors can walk with elephants, interact with cheetahs and lions and learn about the challenges facing these majestic animals.

Mr Steyn, one of Zimbabwe’s pioneers in elephant training, has built a dedicated conservation-oriented team. The facility employs over 50 people, 85 percent of whom are male due to the physically demanding and potentially dangerous nature of the work.

Elephant and Cheetah Experience marketing manager, Ms Janice Ncube, who has been with the organisation since 2011, said the facility is committed to conservation and adherence to Zimbabwean laws.

“The whole idea is conservation alongside leisure and tourism. While some critics argue that walking with lions or riding elephants is controversial, we operate under strict guidelines set by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks). We believe in what we do and are regularly inspected to ensure ethical and sustainable practices,” she said.

During a recent visit by a Chronicle news crew, Ms Ncube explained the diverse preferences of international tourists.

“Americans love riding elephants, while Indian and Chinese clients enjoy interacting with the cats. Locals are all-rounders,” she said.

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Colonel Miniyothabo Chiwenga in August visited the facility with the 2023 Miss Universe World Sheynnis Palacios and interacted with the animals.

The elephants, cheetahs and lions each have unique names and stories. For example, Boniface, the oldest elephant at 44 years, was rescued as an orphaned calf. Sondelani, named after a farm in West Nicholson, was born there. Zuva and Nicky, the cheetahs, are ambassadors for conservation efforts aimed at addressing declining populations.

The three lions — Gundu, Rita, and Thuli — also play vital roles in the facility’s conservation narrative.  For just US$120, international tourists can enjoy close encounters with these animals, including feeding and walking with elephants. The facility also offers discounted rates for locals to encourage domestic tourism.

Beyond tourism, the Elephant and Cheetah Experience is deeply involved in community outreach. The facility provides free educational trips for schools and has adopted Chimbombo Primary School as part of its corporate social responsibility.

“The animals, particularly cheetahs, are integral to the conservation efforts and educational activities aimed at teaching guests about the delicate balance of wildlife ecosystems and the importance of protecting these majestic animals,” said Ms Ncube.

“Their presence helps raise awareness of the declining populations of such species and the importance of protecting their habitats. We aim to foster a culture where animals are seen as more than just potential dangers.”

Ms Ncube said by showcasing their beauty and importance, they hope to convert future poachers into conservationists. Despite its successes, the facility faces challenges, including misconceptions about ethical wildlife interactions and bureaucratic hurdles.

“Elephant and Cheetah Experience started as Elephant Experience and has been running for over 25 years. We introduced the cheetah and lions three years ago hence the name changed. It’s a pity, some people don’t understand us on the conservation side because they think what we do is controversial,” said Ms Ncube.

Ms Ncube also expressed concerns about travel agents inflating package prices, making the destination seem expensive.
However, the local market has been a lifeline.

“If it wasn’t for locals, December would be a low season for us. We do have internationals but the local market boosts us. They not only visit but also promote us online, giving us invaluable exposure,” she said.

“We are trying to inculcate a culture of not seeing every animal as a potential danger. Clients get to walk with the elephants in the bush for 30 minutes and after that, they feed them because we use the reward system.”

Ms Ncube noted that locals often visit during public holidays, while international tourists come during the tourism peak season.

“There are special packages and discounted rates for locals to encourage domestic tourism and allow Zimbabweans to enjoy these unique experiences at half the international price,” she said.

“While the animals are domesticated, elephants feed freely in the bush and are penned at night. Cheetahs and lions only come out when there are clients.”

Ms Ncube said the Elephant and Cheetah Experience is more than just a tourist attraction, but a conservation hub, working tirelessly to protect Zimbabwe’s wildlife heritage.

Source: Elephant and cheetah experience: exploring Zimbabwe’s conservation legacy (31/12/2024) 

Tourism players ignore elephants ride ban

MOST tourism players in Victoria Falls have not heeded an international ban on elephant training, exhibition and rides, arguing that the prohibition order would drive them out of business.

The ban came into effect on December 31 last year.

Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operations Association president and Shearwater Adventures spokesperson, Clement Mukwasi said operators had slowly transitioned, but it was now business as usual.

He said companies were not abruptly ending the elephant activities, but instead they were introducing programmes that would eventually see the retirement of these animals.

“We hear their call, but there are lots of things to consider before complying.

“We need to strike a balance between terminating someone’s job and elephant activities because, if you look at the Zimbabwean Constitution, we are not committing any offence, so this may be applying in their countries or it is just a moral call,” he said.

“Also, regarding tourists, there are some who enjoy walking with elephants, riding and feeding them and that boosts our industry, so we cannot just wake up and comply. Tourists enjoy such activities, so we need to strike a balance.

“We are actually working on scientific evaluation programmes of retiring elephants, as it includes monitoring them, as others may need rehabilitation and adaptation to bush life so that they don’t become a danger to the community or fail to survive on their own.”

According to operators’ reports, such activities have stopped in Botswana and South Africa and pressure is now on Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zambian tour operators, who offer elephant rides, advertised that they would stop on December 31.

Adventure Zone, Elephant Express and Shearwater are some of the companies that offer elephant rides in Victoria Falls while Lion Encounter does lion walks.

Source: Tourism players ignore elephants ride ban (11/01/18)

Pressure on Zim to stop activities involving wild animals

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

THE tourism industry is facing a gloomy future as some international tourism agents from America are reportedly campaigning for closure of tour activities that involve wild animals.

Indications are that elephant rides and lion walks will be closed in December this year despite the activities being one of the cornerstones of the industry.

The international agents bring clients to local tour operators and have reportedly given conditions that if they do not close they would stop marketing the tour operators’ products and services.

Sources said the animal activists are even offering large sums of money to operators to stop activities involving wildlife.

The companies are under pressure and have agreed to close in December so that they remain in business.

More than 90 percent of tourists that enjoy elephant rides and lion walk come from the same agents.
The activities have stopped in Botswana and South Africa and pressure is now on Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zambian tour operators who offer elephant rides have advertised to their clients that they would stop on December 31 while Business Chronicle is reliably informed that locally, Wild Horizons, one of the tour operators in Victoria Falls, will also be closed on the same date.

However, authorities at Wild Horizons told this paper that they were yet to decide on the date to close the activities.

Adventure Zone, Elephant Express, Shearwater are also part of the companies that offer elephant rides in Victoria Falls while Lion Encounter does lion walks.

“We will be stopping but we don’t have a date yet. Yes there is an international campaign to stop activities involving animals such as elephants,” said Mr Craig White of Wild Horizons.

He however played down the issue saying the company was voluntarily scaling down the rides.
Sources told this paper that the company was under pressure from its major agents who have threatened to stop bringing tourists if it continues activities involving animals.

Asked about the implications of the closure on business, Mr White said it would definitely impact negatively on his business.

Shearwater spokesperson, Mr Clement Mukwasi, who is also president of Employers Association of Safari and Tourism Operators said there was a need to strike a balance instead of closing abruptly.
He said the drive was coming from the source market mainly in the United States which targeted countries such as India and African countries were suffering from spillover effects.

“The campaign against use of wild animals in tourism has always been there by wildlife activists. As an industry we say there shouldn’t be an abrupt closure but a system must be devised with a budget for rehabilitation of those animals and compensation of those employed in the sector in the event that we close,” he said.

Mr Mukwasi said the elephant rides is one of the key sectors of tourism as it employs many people and contribute to tourism growth.

“They have to strike a balance. They should give alternatives in relation to people’s jobs and rehabilitation of these animals. Those who are able to close must not do so for scientific benefits without first putting proper measures.

“There is a lot of campaign against animal activities in the source market especially USA as they target India and in our case we have no track record of abuse of animals.”
While other operators have indicated that they will be closing, Mr Mukwasi said his organisation was still consulting.

Sources said Shearwater and Elephant Express have refused to budge because they no longer deal directly with some of the agents pushing for the closure who are based in South Africa.

Across the Zambezi River in Livingstone, only Mukuni Big Five Safaris, run by Chief Mukuni would continue offering animal activities as it also does not directly deal with the concerned agents.

The agents have reportedly planted posters at airports in Zambia stating that any tourism activity involving wild animals was cruel to the animals.

Operators were likely to divert from animal interactions while some have already started setting up restaurants to replace lost activities and business.

It costs $150 per person to ride an elephant for 45 minutes and $165 in Zambia.

@ncubeleon

Source: Pressure on Zim to stop activities involving wild animals (15/06/17)

Captive Animal encounters: are they ethical?

Petting a lion might make you feel good, but how ethical are these interactions? By Janine Stephen.

Getaway Magazine, March 30 2015

This tears me apart. I am at an orphaned animal ‘rehab’ centre on a private reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. The teen serval has played with my shoelaces; I’ve gazed at an orange-eyed young cheetah. It is a kind of bliss to be so close to animals which are beyond beautiful; near mythical. But then we enter the leopard cub’s enclosure and despite the teen cat’s slinky grace, it feels wrong.

Whenever his handler is distracted, he keeps hunkering down to stalk people, muscles rippling under his spotted pelt. He is a few short months off being uncontrollable. And then what? Will he be released to live out his days in wilderness, forever free? A leopard with no fear of humans? I can’t see it happening, ‘rehabilitation’ talk or not.

Animal encounters have boomed in South Africa, catering to people who are hungry to touch and love wild animals plus snap a selfie while they’re at it. Tourists can walk with cheetahs all over the place, or give them a good stroking (the Endangered Wildlife Trust has noticed a huge growth in such encounters, particularly in the Free State and Western Cape). They can ride elephants like kings; or sit on their knees, or kick a ball to them.

They can swim with dolphins and whales and whale sharks and sharks (black-tips or tigers, the great whites require cages). Oh, and cage dive with crocs, in Oudtshoorn. The tourist pays for the privilege. Now, there have always been kind-hearted humans lavishing care on orphaned and injured wild animals, but it’s different when healthy animals are bred or sold to spend a life in captivity, to make someone a profit.

The Campaign Against Canned Hunting says lion cub petting and walking with young lions is just a money-spinning offshoot of the hunting industry. The stress cubs face through endless human interaction is bad enough. ‘Wild animals like lions and tigers have inherent natural behaviours, and exposure to unnatural conditions and human crowds and handling exacerbates their stress,’ says manager of the NSPCA Wildlife Protection Unit, Ainsley Hay.

Cubs also require ‘large periods of undisturbed sleep’ a rarity in any public facility where the animals are ‘expected to work every day’. But reintroducing captive-bred lions to the wild is near impossible on any scale. One ‘walk with lions’ outfit north of our borders boasted of a multiple-stage rehabilitation programme. In reality, it had not sent a lion back to real wilderness in eight years, although plenty lived in large fenced areas.

There are no conservation benefits to this, yet these outfits hoover up donations and well-meaning tourist cash. And so petted lion cubs (or tigers), sent out walking with tourists as teenagers, are often sold to hunting outfits as adults. Sounds crazy? In September, the Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism confirmed that from 2008, the Seaview Predator Park in Port Elizabeth, for example, had sent 22 lions to Craddock hunting reserve Tam Safaris.

The Herald reported there had been 86 lion hunts at Tam in six years, although Tam claimed the lions from Seaview were used only for breeding. Tam Safaris exported 738kg of lion bones and teeth to Vietnam in 2012.

Wild animals in captivity

‘Captive-bred large predators in this country become breeding machines to make more cubs for the petting industry, or they become trophies shot by hunters, or a skeleton exported to Asia for traditional medicine use,’ says the NSPCA’s Hay. The cheetah encounter industry is also a problem. EWT cheetah metapopulation co-ordinator Vincent van der Merwe says that in the last seven years, 27 percent of the cheetah moved off wild reserves were sold into captivity.

There are as many as 350 to 550 cheetah in captivity as opposed to 318 on 48 small reserves (excluding the Kruger and Kgalagadi). ‘The industry poses a serious threat to the [wild] cheetah population,’ Van der Merwe says. Many animal encounters can’t be condoned: dolphins and orcas in aquaria, for example, turning tricks for a living. Circuses are out. And I’m opposed to elephant encounters, as they inevitably require training.

With this comes the possibility of abuse (the pictures of wounds on babies belonging to the Knysna Elephant Park, inflicted during training in the Eastern Cape, are horrible reminders. Although the incident allegedly dates back to 2008, the story only broke in 2014). Being close to an elephant should be enough of an experience without subjecting it to human will.

And yet, and yet. Who hasn’t seen a child’s face light up in close proximity to an animal they have never seen? Can we say rehabilitation centres, sanctuaries, zoos or encounters should never exist – even the best of them? That humans have no right to display animals for education or profit? Some agree that people have no right, but do they have a responsibility to aid creatures harmed by human activities, from speeding cars, to pesticides or widespread habitat loss? A choice between conserving habitat with an endangered animal in it and shipping said animal to a captive breeding programme is a no-brainer. But sometimes there is no choice; no safe habitat left. So: a toughie.

There’s a bloke I trust on this stuff, although he’s dead now. He was an ornery part-scientist, part-renegade, and for all that he adored animals, he was never overly sentimental. Gerald Durrell did much to save such under-the-radar creatures as the Madagascan teal (not a flashy bird), the giant jumping rat, and the Mauritian pink pigeon, of which only 10 were left in the wild.

Durrell’s Jersey Zoo (now called the Durrell Wildlife Park) embodied ideals worth carrying over to any outfit offering any kind of animal encounter. Here they are: the primary reason they exist is to act as a reserve for endangered species that need help to survive in the wild. Education is a huge bonus: if animals have to be captured, we are duty-bound to learn more about them. But the end aim is to reintroduce the species to its natural habitat as soon as possible.

Pure entertainment, you’ll notice, is out. And that’s how it should be. It’s when a factory line of cute babies is needed to keep visitors streaming in that abuse can and will happen. This doesn’t mean selling tickets to see a bird with a broken wing or a former pet tiger that would otherwise have been shot is bad. Inviting the public in to help fund good work makes sense.

And I can’t brush off the educational spin-offs. When I was a kid, I went on a bird identification course at the local zoo and it ignited a fascination with birds and beasts that has never deserted me. Some critics say that if zoos and sanctuaries teach children anything, ‘it’s that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable’. Not so. It is as likely to result in a commitment to seeing wildlife thrive and survive away from cages and people.

The key lesson underlying every encounter must be this: caring about animals means interacting with them on their terms, not ours. And that lucky, fleeting encounters in the wild are immeasurably more satisfying than a few fake strokes.

But I wanna stroke a cheetah…

Questions worth asking before buying a ticket

1. Are people interacting with the animals to be rehabilitated?

True rehabilitation centres won’t allow visitors, says Chris Mercer of the Campaign Against Canned Hunting, as the animals habituated to people cannot be released into the wild.

Some centres use ‘ambassador’ animals for education (such as a three-legged caracal, to warn against gin traps). But these animals should be unreleasable due to injury or prior habituation. Public access areas should be completely distinct from the rehab area. If not, animals are not being rehabilitated for release.

2. What is the value of any education or breeding programmes the outfit offers?

‘There is absolutely no ethical or conservation-based reason to breed large predators in captivity in South Africa,’ says the NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit.

‘These animals… are imprinted and would never survive in the wild, or they are inbred and their genetics are diluted.’ The NSPCA points to a High Court case between the South African Predator Breeders Association and the Department of Environmental Affairs that confirmed that captive lion breeding ‘has nothing to do with conservation’. The NSPCA also refutes claims that captive breeding can be educational.

‘People can learn far more about wild animals by watching a documentary showing the animal’s natural behaviour in their natural habitats than looking at an animal in a cage, or playing with a baby animal.’

3. Would the animals be there if there were fewer public visitors?

If there is no demand for cub petting, from the public, cubs will not be removed from lionesses unnecessarily, says the NSPCA.

4. What happens to animals born here once they grow up?

‘Captive-bred large predators become breeding machines to make more cubs for the petting industry, or they become trophies shot by hunters, or a skeleton exported to Asia for traditional medicine use,’ says the NSPCA.

5. Are people allowed to touch the animals?

Are such encounters ‘staged’ (the animal has no choice) or by chance (the animal is curious enough to approach)? Many petted animals are required to be available to people paying to do so, and have no seclusion area to retreat to if they’ve had enough, say the NSPCA: completely unethical.

Ethical options for wildlife encounters

Wildlife Act Offers volunteer opportunities with research project in reserves in Zululand; endorsed by the WWF. Projects include monitoring wild dogs and leopard.
wildlifeact.com

SANCCOB Just about all these rescued seabirds really do go back home. Mandated by the South African government and registered with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
sanccob.co.za

Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre Animals to be rehabilitated are not on public display. Supported by Mpumalanga’s parks.
scwrc.co.za

Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre Breeds and releases cheetah and is accredited by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Also a member of WESSA.
hesc.co.za

Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre Has bred and released over 160 serval into the wild.
moholoholo.co.za

 
*Note: certain of these centres may have ‘ambassador’ animals and encounters.

 
For a list of organisations that do not allow cub petting, and discussions on ethics, see the Facebook group Volunteers in Africa Beware.

Lion walks in Livingstone to be suspended

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: Lion Encounter

The Directors and Management of Lion Encounter have agreed to suspend lion walks in Livingstone as of November 2015, acting on recommendations by, and in consultation with, ALERT’s Executive Committee. The main objective of this decision is to reduce the number of lions entering into the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Programme, until lions have been successfully released into the wild from the programme.

The decision, made in late February 2014, was advised to members of the African Lion Working Group the following month, and to the Zambia Wildlife Authority in October 2014, in accordance with the stipulations of the Tourism Concession Agreement under which Lion Encounter operates. A public announcement was delayed until nearer the effective date to enable Lion Encounter to put in place alternative strategies. These aim to provide job security to Lion Encounter’s staff, whilst continuing to raise finance to support the Release Programme, as well as ALERT’s broader conservation and community development programmes; many of which are operated in partnership with Lion Encounter.

Lion walks will continue in the immediate future at Lion Encounter Victoria Falls and at Antelope Park, but at a reduced level. Suspension of lion walks at these locations will also be considered in light of progress made on releasing lions over the next two years.

To read Africa Geographic’s post on why walking with lions is not good conservation practice click here and to read Christopher Clark’s blog questioning the ethics of lion walking click here.

Source: Lion walks in Livingstone to be suspended (18/03/15)

Walking With Lions: Con Or Conservation?

Walking With Lions: Con Or Conservation?

Posted on www.zambiaitourism.com

December 19, 2014

 by Christopher Clark

I must admit that before my latest visit to Zambia, I didn’t know that much about “lion walks”, lion “cub-petting” and other similar “animal encounter” activities, either in Zambia or here at home in South Africa. But from the little I did know, something didn’t seem right to me. I’ve always felt that wild animals should be exactly that: wild. I’m no conservationist, but exposing a young lion cub to human contact always seemed a strange way to help that lion subsequently have a happy adult existence in the “wild”.

I was prompted to look more into this topic by a chance conversation with a former employee at Lion Encounter in Vic Falls whilst in South Luangwa National Park a few months back. I’d asked what he had done for work before guiding in the park, and when he said he used to work for Lion Encounter I shared my skepticism about such “projects” and asked for his opinions, and why he left Lion Encounter. The scathing and heart-wrenching story he gave me left me feeling that I had to find out more.

So once back in Cape Town, I began to do some research and found that there were a number of articles questioning the ethics and methods of Lion Encounter and similar “projects” and/or operators, many of them echoing my own initial doubts but with a lot more academic weight behind them.

I remained in contact with the former Lion Encounter employee in South Luangwa who also put me in touch with a number of other former employees and volunteers, all of whom gave similar testimonies of disillusionment and deceit without any prompting from me.

Some of the most commonly raised grievances were the poor treatment of Lion Encounter staff and volunteers, the even poorer treatment (and sometimes utter neglect) of the lions, the failure to release or rehabilitate one single lion into the wild since 1999 and the mismanagement of funds.

But most pertinent of all were the repeated assertions by volunteers and former employees from Lion Encounter that their lions were (or still are) being sold into canned hunting, a concern that mirrors the current furore around Lion Park in South Africa, following the admission by the owner that Lion Park had sold lions into canned hunting less than two years ago. As far as Lion Encounter is concerned, as one volunteer puts it, though it is hard to actually get concrete proof that any of their lions have ended up being shot in a canned hunt: “if they (Lion Encounter) deny it I would like to know where are all those cubs are going? Seriously, with as much as they breed, otherwise the continent would be spilling over with lions”.

Lions being bred for canned hunting in South Africa

It can be argued quite convincingly that certain types of hunting as well as the significant revenue that can be garnered from hunting can potentially, in certain instances, be good for conservation, but this is a discussion for another time. It’s also true that at present Lion Encounter isn’t actually breaking any laws, even if it is selling its lions into hunting (we know for sure at least that it has sold some its lions in the past). But what I for one feel we need to take issue with here, is the increasingly high likelihood that Lion Encounter is treating its lions unethically in one way or another and deceiving the public.

Visitors to Lion Encounter pay roughly $130 for a “lion walk”, while taking part in a volunteer program costs thousands of dollars per week. Many of the visitors to Lion Encounter, particularly the volunteers, go there believing that they are doing something good for the lions. The testimonies that I have received as well as a number of others that have been shared in the comments sections of articles about Lion Encounter and similar “projects” suggest that many leave feeling saddened, disillusioned and angered by what they have witnessed, and helpless to do anything much about it. How many would ever have spent the money in the first place if they had been better informed?

As another former volunteer concisely summed it up:

“There’s absolutely no benefit to the lions and it is, in my opinion, nothing more than a money making business.”

I recently sat down and discussed all of the above with the private owners and managers of Zambiatourism.com, and happily it was quickly decided that this website should no longer be promoting such activities. We have now used the “Lion Walks” page on this site to rather increase awareness of the criticisms, issues and allegations facing Lion Encounter (as well as other similar operators). You can visit the page here to read more on this topic.

I would also like to encourage anyone who has personally visited Lion Encounter or similar “projects” and operators in the Vic Falls area to share their thoughts in the comments section here, whichever side of the argument they fall on. The same goes for any of the current staff or management at Lion Encounter et al. Open dialogue from both sides is important going forward if things are to change for the better.

Source: Walking With Lions: Con Or Conservation? (19/12/14)

ZAWA accuse ALERT NGO and its partners for deceiving donors

The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA)has described as appalling the behaviour by some Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in the wildlife industry who are claiming credit for works they did not do so as to deceive donors.

In press statement released to the media by ZAWA Communications & Public Relations Officer Mwila Readith Muliyunda the Authority says it is outrageous, unfair and disrespectful to the organizers for some NGOs to claim ownership of works done by others in a bid to appease donors.

Ms. Muliyunda questioned the credibility of such organizations which she said did not show any interest during the planning phase of the event.

“The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) is appalled at the level of dishonesty by some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the industry, which go to the extreme of claiming credit for works they did not do in their quest to appease donors.

“ZAWA last week collaborated with Green Rural African Development (GRAD) to put up a colourful conservation and education awareness initiative and fun day for kids in commemoration of World Lion Day.”

She added, “Surprisingly, ALERT, a local NGO and its sister organisation, Lion Encounter through an article they posted on their website made false claims and gave the impression that they were behind the organisation of the event when in fact they were not.

“This may seem immaterial at glance. However, it is important to note that the organizing phase of the event was met with so much apathy and lack of interest from certain individuals and Alert, which is now claiming to have spearheaded it. It also speaks volumes about the credibility and caliber of such organisations.

“For them to want to claim credit for the occasion after it turned out to be a success is completely outrageous, unfair and disrespectful to the real organizers and contributors, especially GRAD, which was the major sponsor. Other contributors included Stanbic, Tongabezi, Game Rangers International, Grassroots Trust, Ranan Trading and the Livingstone Majorettes.”

And the Wildlife Authority has warned individuals trying to use the wildlife for personnel gratification as the industry is not a playground for amassing personal wealth from well wishers.

She also notes that the industry has been exploited for a long time hence the need for people to discourage by all well meaning Zambians.

“ZAWA would like to warn that the Wildlife industry and Zambia as a whole is not a playground for NGOs seeking to fulfil selfish motives, or those which are only interested in amassing personal wealth from well-wishers.

The industry has for a long time been subject to such shameless exploitation, and this shall not be tolerated. ZAWA is always happy to give credit to deserving partners. But any attempts by some organisations to reap where they did not sow shall not be allowed to continue,” she said.

She added, “The Authority is also very keen to partner with organisations that are honest, fair and with a genuine desire and passion for conservation of the country’s wildlife and natural resources. This is critical for the benefit of communities, not only locally, but across continents.

ZAWA understands that Zambia and Africa in general holds the last hope for the preservation and sustainability of our environment, wildlife and natural resource. The entire human species depends on the preservation and conservation of this limited resource for survival.”

Source: ZAWA accuse ALERT NGO and its partners for deceiving donors (21/08/14)

Should captive animal interactions be allowed in National Parks?

Captive animal interactions aimed at tourists, such as elephant-back safaris and 'lion walks' have been popular tourism activities in Zimbabwe and Zambia in recent years.

Despite obvious concerns over the welfare of animals kept in captivity and exploited for financial gain it appears that tourists leave their moral and ethical compass at home when they travel. Many of these captive animal interactions claim 'conservation value' in their work, however the merit of these projects is highly debatable (see for example the debate on captive lion interactions or 'lion walks') and their methods controversial.

National Parks, on the other hand, are designated to protect and conserve wild animals in their natural habitat. Occasionally, such as the case of the Elephant Orphanage Project in Kafue, Zambia, captive animal facilities may operate within National Parks. The EOP is a legitimate wildlife sanctuary, rescuing injured and orphaned elephants in extreme cases of hardship and rehabilitating wherever possible. It is operated as a charity, and in no way profits financially from the animals.

Against this background, tourism operators in Zimbabwe have in the past even captured baby wild elephants from the wild, removing them from their maternal herds and enslaving them into captive operations. Operators using lions have large-scale breeding programmes to supply a constant production line of young lion cubs suitable for walking with tourists and resulting in large numbers of adult lions being condemned to spending the rest of their lives in captivity.

Do either of these types of captive-animal tourism interactions have a place in National Parks? One would have thought that the answer was an obvious 'no', but two operators in Victoria Falls are currently trying to obtain concessions in the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe, to operate their captive elephant and lion interactions within the National Park itself. The ALERT Lion Encounter and Shearwater Adventures both have controversial histories (see links below).

There are many and detailed arguments against the operation of captive animal interactions within National Parks, and it remains to be seen if these two operators will be able to bend rules and entice National Parks with their promises of financial returns and other sweeteners in order to achieve their aims. However, the fact that both these operators are pursuing this course of action suggests that they are confident that they have a chance of success.

As increasing pressures drive Africa's prized wildlife resources towards extinction, the value of our National Parks to protect and conserve species diversity for the future increases. National Parks need more legal, financial and human resources to protect increasingly threatened wild animals. The challenge for conservationists is to connect protected areas, not divide them with fences, excluding wildlife from tradition seasonal movements.

The operation of captive animal interactions within National Parks should not be seen as a short-cut to delivering conservation aims or a 'safari experience' to tourists - indeed many tourists can go and see elephants and lions in captive game parks in their home countries - and are certainly not in keeping with the wild Africa which the tourism industry promotes so strongly as a drawcard for tourism to the region. Safari tourists want to see wild animals in the wild - not captive bred or trained animals in a captive environment.

Conservation of Africa's valuable wildlife resources depends on the protection of large, inter-connected natural areas which need to be actively managed to protect and promote wildlife. The establishment of captive animal interactions does nothing to help achieve these aims, and even undermines them. For this writer there is no place for profit-based captive animal interactions in Africa's National Parks, and those who believe there is are promoting a future where Africa's great wildlife treasures will exist only behind fences and in captivity.

Let's hope that Zimbabwe's Park and Wildlife Authority see through the charade and reject these proposals. If not, their reputation, and that of Zimbabwe, for wildlife conservation and as a top African safari destination will surely be negatively affected. As will, of course, the conservation of wild animals in the Parks themselves.

Time for tourists to vote with their feet and stop supporting operators and agents who promote captive animal interactions and instead visit national parks for a true safari experience and witness the majesty of Africa's wildlife in the wild. You'll be doing more to help conserve Africa's wildlife just be being there than these captive animal operations will ever achieve.

Further information:
Keeping lions wild
Wild elephants captured for elephant back safaris

The truth about Walking with Lions

AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC - Is walking with lions good conservation? Probably not.
By Peter Borchert, July 3, 2013
Close encounters with Africa’s megafauna is an irresistible magnet for many tourists in Africa, and for some the closer the encounter the greater the thrill.

So when a tourism operator offers the chance, for a fee, to ‘walk with lions’ it is no surprise that there is a steady flow of punters eager to do it. And when it is claimed that the money goes towards an elaborate project purporting to rewild lions, it seems, superficially at least, to be a Good Thing.
After all Africa’s wild lion population is in bad shape. A half -century ago some 100,000 lions ranged across Africa’s savannas, but lion habitat is only a quarter of what is was then and today lion numbers are fewer than 30,000. Forty per cent of these live in Tanzania and only nine countries can claim to have more than 1,000 wild living lions. To say that lions in the wild are on a one-way ticket to extinction is arguably no overstatement. So where could there be a problem with any attempt to reverse the trend?

Well, controversy and conservation are well acquainted and pretty well constant companions. And around the operations of Antelope Park in Gweru, Zimbabe and their sister operations called Lion Encounter at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia where ‘hands on’ interaction with these great felines is promoted, the controversy is well and truly raging.

Antelope Park, as stated on its website, is “home to the world-famous ALERT lion rehabilitation programme, as seen in the major UK TV documentary series Lion Country.” ALERT, it would seem, is the umbrella organisation in a network of subgroups: ALERT is a non-profit body but the subgroups are not.

The nub of the issue is the ALERT ‘vision’, which is founded on a four-stage rewilding strategy, with stage four being the successful release of lions into true conservation areas. One understands that grand ideas are not always realised overnight, but ALERT was founded in 2005 and has yet to release any lions into the wild. But lions, true to the basic strategy of all life, reproduce. Cubs taken from their pride groups to walk with tourists soon outgrow their purpose and are moved up a stage and ‘new’ walking specimens are brought in. The lions in the middle stages of the rehabilitation model will mature and will breed. And as the breeding cycle continues the numbers of contained lions grows. Unless lions are legally released into a wild area, the ‘captive’ population has to balloon. It’s simple arithmetic. In fact figures provided to Africa Geographic by ALERT show a large build up of baby lions (where the money is made), a significant death rate in the middle stages and no successful final stage releases to date. After 8 years those numbers speak for themselves. And yet ALERT persists with its conservation claims and volunteers and tourists flock to their operations. Let me be clear on this, I am all for successful tourism operations – but not when they redirect money from genuine conservation activities and not when the promises of conservation impact are nothing more than a thin marketing veneer.

The ‘excess’ lions from these breeding operations will have to go somewhere to relieve the bottleneck and if that destination is not a legitimate conservation area, where will that somewhere be?

The fear and, in some quarters, strongly held suspicion is that via some form of wildlife laundering system lions will find their way into one or more of the many lion breeding farms that serve canned lion hunting operations.

This would certainly not be conservation in any shape or form. In fact it would mean quite cynically that conservation money from volunteer internships, fees to walk with lions and donations is being diverted from really good conservation projects into operations of questionable ethical standing.
If this is not the case then only complete transparency and accountability for all the lions involved from cradle to grave will allay the growing disquiet of the conservation world. And even if such transparency is forthcoming, is it in the first place sensible to offer ultra-close encounters with big, dangerous animals. Attacks on humans and maulings have already occurred at Lion Encounter and quite possibly a real tragedy awaits. But that is another story.

Read the full article on the Africa Geographic website here

Read the full history of this highly controversial project here.

Tongabezi Lodge speaks out against captive lion interactions

Tongabezi Lodge, located on the north banks of the Zambezi River above the Victoria Falls near Livingstone, Zambia, have joined the handfull of tourism operators in the region to speak up on the issue of captive lions being used in lion walks and other tourist-animal interactions.
In a post of their Facebook group (here), Tongabezi outlines some of the many reasons why they have decided not to take bookings for captive lion interactions. Guests can still book directly, if they choose.
There are two toruism operators based in Livingstone, Zambia who use captive bred lions in tourism interactions - the ALERT/Lion Encounter project (which is based in Zimbabwe and operates lion walks in Gweru, Victoria Falls and Livingstone), and Mukuni Big 5 Safaris, which has captive lions, cheetah, and, almost comically, offers a 'complimentary caracal'.
And if this wasn't bad enough, the ALERT project source their lion cubs from South Africa, thus supporting the captive lion breeding industry there which feeds the canned hunting industry there, and Mukuni has white lions - inbred for their recessive genes.
To find out what these operators are up to, and the crazy excuses they offer to support their use of captive animals, view the ALERT website here, Lion Encounter site here, and the Mukuni Big 5 Safaris site here.
Visit the Tongabezi website here, and show your support by booking yourself a holiday!
And to read more about why captive lion interactions are such a hot topic, click here - you'll also find info on this site about white lions here.

Walking with lions – Conservation or abuse?

Whilst we are on topic, here's another background article on the ALERT/Lion Encounter 'Walking with lions' project, this time written by respected safari guide and conservation writer Ian Michler.
Walking with lions – Conservation or abuse?
By Ian Michler
Wildife Extra
Date: 2012?
There's a decided feel-good factor to cuddling a lion cub or riding an elephant; it's something that, given half a chance, many of us would do without thinking twice. But would we be contributing to research and conservation, as wildlife-encounter operations claim? Probably not, says Ian Michler.
Over the past decade there has been a proliferation of enterprises across Africa that offer interactive or close-encounter experiences with wildlife; sign up and you can walk or romp with a wild animal, cuddle it or even ride it. Such operations include primate and bird parks, elephant-back riding and diving with crocodiles; and the most popular are those that feature the large cats.
...Some of them take a frank approach and sell themselves for what they are - commercial ventures that rely on the lure of a ‘touchy-feely' encounter. But there are many others that have a deceptive tagline, promoting themselves under the banner of conservation, science or education in an attempt to acquire legitimacy for their activities. And, although organisations such as these may be supported by a sector of the general public and some of the large local and international tour operators, they find little favour within the wider conservation and wildlife management communities.
African Encounter and Antelope Park - ALERT
These communities' attitude to the African Encounter and Antelope Park outfits that run the ‘Walk with Lions' operations in Zambia and Zimbabwe suggests that they, for example, fall into the latter category. Both are directly linked to the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT), which attempts to legitimise their lion captive-breeding programmes and money-spinning tourist operations. It claims that charging visitors large sums of money to walk with sub-adult lions and cuddle captive-bred cubs is justified because the outfits are involved in data-collection and reintroduction programmes. Is it coincidence that they have set up shop in towns that draw substantial numbers of tourists to view the Victoria Falls, one of Africa's iconic sights?
What's more, these outfits list a number of volunteer agencies as ‘supporters'. Persuading foreign volunteers to pay for an African experience on the basis that the work they do is beneficial makes for an extremely lucrative business model. But further investigation reveals that most of the volunteer agencies are also linked to the ALERT network.
And, ALERT's vigorous efforts notwithstanding, not a single recognised carnivore conservation or research institution in Africa or elsewhere will have anything to do with it. Panthera, a respected global organisation involved in wild cat conservation, brings together the world's felid experts to direct and implement effective management strategies. Notable exceptions from this pool are ALERT and its sister bodies.
Read the full article here: Walking with lions – Conservation or abuse?

Walking with lions - Conservation Myth

Here's another background report outlining issues which will be developed in future on this blog. In 2005 ALERT/Lion Encounter set up their 'Walking with Lions' captive breeding and interaction project in the Vitcoria Falls. Nearly ten years later and, whilst over 100 lions have been used in captive tourist interactions, raising many thousands of dollars in the name of conservation in the process, not one lion has yet to be released back into the wild. Indeed the project doesn't even pretend that it will be able to release the lions it uses in captive interactions back into the wild, but has developed a smoke-screen of 'rehabilitation' and 'release' stages to hide the truth - lions bred in captivity, taken from their mothers and imprinted on human handlers, and then used in captive interactions with tourists, can never be released back into the wild and are doomed to spend their lives in captivity. The only thing which varies is the size of the cage. This report has been specifically targetted at the ALERT/Lion Encounter project, and refers to it directly.
Report Finds Captive Lion Reintroduction Programs in Africa Operate Under 'Conservation Myth'
(from Panthera Press Release, 31 July 2011)
A new report published in the international conservation journal Oryx concludes that commercial 'wildlife encounter' operations across Africa promoting the reintroduction of captive lions do little to further the conservation of African lions in the wild.
'Walking with lions: Why there is no role for captive-origin lions (Panthera leo) in species restoration,' was authored by a blue-ribbon panel of lion conservationists and wild cat biologists from Panthera, the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and a team of university-based lion researchers. Demonstrating that no lions have been successfully released as a result of this process, the report determines that commercial captive lion reintroduction programs operate largely under a 'conservation myth.'
The last two decades has seen a rapid growth of such operations especially across Southern Africa. Advertised as 'wildlife encounters,' the programs typically charge tourists and paying volunteers to pet, feed and walk with hand-raised and so-called tame lions. To the paying public, the stated objective is the eventual release to the wild of lions.
The Oryx paper assesses the potential of these programs to assist wild lion conservation by evaluating the role and suitability of captive lions for release. The report concludes that captive-bred lions are simply unnecessary for reintroduction projects. For more than two decades, wild lions have been translocated and rigorously monitored in over 40 parks across southern Africa with high success rates. Over 500 wild lions have been re-established by this process. More importantly, the evaluation shows that captive-bred lions and their offspring are poorly suited for survival and release compared to their wild-born counterparts.
Read more: Panthera Press Release
Download the full report here
Read more on Dr Luke Hunter's blog here.

Lion attacks tourist at Victoria Falls

A dream vacation to Zimbabwe turned into a nightmare for a woman from East County, San Diego in the US after she was attacked by a lion while on a safari with her husband at Victoria Falls.

Colleen Garbaczewski and her husband were on a lion walk at Victoria Falls when she was attacked, according to a family friend.

Videos of lion walks show people walking near lions. Some even sit with the lions and even pet them.

But for Garbaczewski, something went terribly wrong. Though the details remain unclear, the attack left Garbaczewski with what her family said were non life-threatening injuries.

"It's terrible. That's horrible," said Joseph Kalfayan, who has lived near the couple for 10 years.

Garbaczewski is an executive with Pacific Coast Rentals and is also involved in the community.

Kalfayan had this message for his friend: "I wish her good health, the best of luck and a quick recovery."

A member of the Garbaczewski family said Garbaczewski is recovering well and should be home soon.

Source: Lion attacks tourist at Victoria Falls (08 May 2011)