https://www.lusakatimes.com/20...-the-luangwa-valley/



In a secretive move Government overturns decision on culling 2000 hippos in the Luangwa Valley


May 23, 2018





Born Free pleads with Zambian President to spare the lives of 2,000 wild hippos
Hippo massacre could be bloody reality if government-approved cull goes ahead

In a shocking and secretive move, Zambian authorities have overturned their 2016 decision to suspend the brutal culling of up to 2,000 hippos in the world-famous Luangwa Valley over the next five years. The cull is once again being promoted to trophy hunters as a hunt, this time by the South African hunting outfitter Umlilo Safaris. Wildlife charity, Born Free, who led efforts to stop the slaughter in 2016, is calling for the authorities to urgently re-consider and abort this barbaric agreement that only benefits private safari hunting companies and trophy hunters.

Born Free President, Will Travers OBE, stated: “Our sources reveal that the government has moved swiftly to reinstate the cull, perhaps hoping this would go unnoticed. Far from it! They are, apparently, using the same flawed rational for the slaughter as last time – a preventative measure to avoid a future outbreak of anthrax, combined with an assertion that low rainfall will exacerbate the situation. They also appear not to have informed key stakeholders in the Luangwa Valley, including the Luangwa Safari Association and the District Commissioner. The negative consequences for thousands of hippo and Zambia’s reputation as a wildlife tourism destination – the proposed cull site can be seen from the internationally-renowned Chichele Lodge – cannot be under-estimated.”



The Zambian Ministry of Justice has apparently decided that the original and discredited contract between The Department of National Parks & Wildlife (DNPW) and Mabwe Safaris – the Zambian company who were awarded the culling contract last time – should be honoured and that the cull is to start imminently. Hunting camps are already being set up. However, the original contract was, in Born Free’s view, based on false information and should be rescinded.

The DNPW is seeking to justify the cull by claiming it is a ‘wildlife management tool’ to prevent anthrax outbreaks among wildlife due to high populations of hippo, compounded by unusually low rainfall in Luangwa. However, Born Free asserts that this isn’t the case.

Will Travers confirmed: “Leaving to one side the vitally important moral and ethical arguments, these same justifications attempted last time should be rejected, again, for the following reasons:

DNPW has, to date, failed to provide robust, scientific evidence demonstrating that there is an overpopulation of hippos in the Luangwa River or make public the Government of Zambia report that has previously been cited in their justification

DNPW have failed to provide robust, scientific evidence that clearly demonstrates that previous hippo culls in the Luangwa Valley have been successful in reducing the hippo population over the long-term.
DNPW has failed to provide rainfall and river level data showing that river levels and water flow in the Luangwa River are abnormally low and cannot sustain the current hippo population
DNPW has failed to provide credible, scientific evidence to show that such an indiscriminate hippo cull of healthy animals would prevent a future outbreak of anthrax – nor prevent the spread of an existing one.
Scientific evidence suggests that culling hippos stimulates breeding and ends up increasing the population, potentially establishing a vicious cycle of death and destruction.
Wild hippo numbers across Africa are under increasingly pressure with a maximum estimate of just 130,000 animals – about one third of the number of the high-profile African elephant. Furthermore, as efforts increase to end the trade in elephant ivory, hippos are being increasingly targeted for their ivory as a replacement. Latest data confirms that in the decade to 2016, more than 6,000 hippo teeth, 2,048 hippo tusks and a further 1,183 hippo ‘trophies’ were exported to EU Member States alongside thousands of other ‘parts and products’. International trade records show that from 2004-2014 around 60,000 kg of hippo ivory were imported into Hong Kong.”

Travers concluded: “Born Free is asking national and international wildlife conservation organisations, concerned individuals and those who have a strong affinity with hippos, to join us in calling on the President of Zambia, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, to personally intervene and call a permanent halt to this damaging and distressing plan, with immediate effect.”

Umlilo Safaris are promoting the hippo ‘hunt’ on hippo management hunt Zambia 2018-2019

Hippos

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with an estimated population of just 115-130,000 animals. The Red List assessment notes that hippo population declines continue to be reported in many countries, and that “The conservation status of Hippos remains precarious and the need for direct conservation action to protect Hippos and Hippo habitat across their range is a priority”.

https://www.facebook.com/Umlil...ris-189690121075687/



Link to the hunt.


Umlilo Safaris
May 21 at 11:03am ·
Zambia,Luangwa Valley: Hippo Management Hunt 2018 & 2019!
5 x Hippos PER hunter = 5 Full Days / 6 Nights (all included)
1 x 1 Hunt: $14 000 / €11 750 / £10 500
2 x 1 Hunt: $13 000 / €11 000 / £9 750
umlilosafaris@kirkwood.co.za
Francois Dorfling +27 82 826 5580
Johan Dorfling +27 79 503 9896

The anthrax angle is important. Something the greenies don't really care about because it doesn't fit their agendae.

Wonder how one secretly culls 2,000 Hippo?

There have been anthrax outbreaks along the Zambezi as well. Keeping the population within the proper limits is an important tool. The only issue is whether or not the population data is correct, which should be easily determined from the air. And since when is a cull considered a "hunt." More propaganda from the Born Free group.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
And since when is a cull considered a "hunt."

I'll play Devil'd advocate. I'd say it's called a hunt when you pay to do it. If the government was culling the Hippos then I suppose that's not a hunt.

Plenty of ranch culls are sold in RSA as hunts. I suppose one could argue the technique is not the same as fair chase hunting and that would be an individual choice I suppose.

Cheers
Jim

https://www.lusakatimes.com/20...tart-culling-hippos/



Zambia confirms it will start culling Hippos
May 29, 2018




Tourism Minister Charles Banda has confirmed that the government has given a go ahead to a safari hunting company to cull Hippos in the Luangwa Valley.

Mr Banda has however revealed that only 250 Hippos will be culled in 250 and not the 2,000 Hippos that some conservation groups reported.

In an interview, Mr Banda said that government approved the culling of 250 Hippos as part of efforts to depopulate the animals.

He said going forward, the number of Hippos to be culled will be determined year by year after conducting a census.

Mr Banda said the contract with entered into Mambwe Safaris with the then ZAWA in 2015 is still valid although the operations of ZAWA have since been taken over by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife under the Ministry of Tourism and Arts.

In 2016, the Zambian government suspended the culling of Hippos in the Luangwa Valley over the next five years.

A South African hunting outfitter Umlilo Safaris has now started promoting Hippo hunting using the same licence obtained by Mambwe Safaris.

Wildlife charity, Born Free, who led efforts to stop the slaughter in 2016, is calling on government to urgently re-consider and abort the agreement that only benefits private safari hunting companies and trophy hunters.

Born Free President, Will Travers OBE, stated: “Our sources reveal that the government has moved swiftly to reinstate the cull, perhaps hoping this would go unnoticed. Far from it! They are, apparently, using the same flawed rational for the slaughter as last time – a preventative measure to avoid a future outbreak of anthrax, combined with an assertion that low rainfall will exacerbate the situation.

They also appear not to have informed key stakeholders in the Luangwa Valley, including the Luangwa Safari Association and the District Commissioner. The negative consequences for thousands of hippo and Zambia’s reputation as a wildlife tourism destination – the proposed cull site can be seen from the internationally-renowned Chichele Lodge – cannot be under-estimated.”

I very much doubt it will happen.

Someone should tell all those stupid "conservationists" to stick it where the sun never shines!

They should mind their own bloody business, and leave Africa alone.

They know absolutely nothing about conservation, and just lining their own pockets.

https://www.lusakatimes.com/20...ippo-cull-scandal-2/



Suspicious tender at heart of Zambian hippo cull scandal

October 16, 2018




The proposed hippo cull in Zambia’s world-renowned Luangwa Valley has a dodgy tender process at its core and appears to be an attempt by Zambian Government to cover up a contract-gone-wrong.

This is according to a source close to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), saying the Department was sued by Mabwe Adventures Limited, the hunting company contracted to execute the cull. A recent court ruling in Mabwe’s favour fueled the Department’s sudden backtracking on its 2016 anti-cull decision in order to avoid paying compensation, the source says.

Zambian Minister of Tourism and Arts Charles Banda confirmed that a contract entered into with Mabwe Adventures in 2015 was still valid, even though operations of the then Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) were taken over by the DNPW under the Ministry of Tourism and Arts.

The contract was awarded to Mabwe under suspicious circumstances. Zambia’s 2017 Parastatal Report notes not only an irregularity with the Mabwe tender, but also confirms that a sum of 81 108 Kwacha (about R110 000) was paid to ZAWA by Mabwe.
The report instructed ZAWA, now the DNPW, “to desist from willfully disregarding Government procedures [and] to submit the report of the hippo culling exercise indicating the number of hippos culled as well as the supporting documentation showing the amounts paid to ZAWA for audit verification, after which the matter is recommended for closure.”

The local Luangwa Safari Association (LSA) also raised concern over the suspicious tender in a letter to the Ministry of Tourism and Arts last year, saying local safari authorities and associations weren’t “aware of any public Tender Advertisement for culling of hippos”. According to the DNPW source, local wildlife authorities within the Luangwa region are still working to void the culling contract for not following the legal channels, and for not considering any scientific of conservation management research.

The decision to cull will effectively allow South African trophy hunters into the world famous Luangwa Valley to hunt at least 1250 animals – 250 hippos annually for the next five years until 2022.

According to Banda, the “reason for [the] culling of hippos is to control the hippo population on the Luangwa River so as to maintain a suitable habitat for other aquatic species and wildlife in general.” An outbreak of anthrax, combined with low rainfall, also contributed to the DNPW’s decision to cull.

Scientists including those from Zambia’s own Wildlife Authority disagree.

A paper published in the International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation in 2013 by Dr Chansa Chomba, who headed up the Department of Research, Planning, Information and Veterinary Services for ZAWA at the time, concluded that culls are ineffective in controlling hippo populations. In fact, the research found that culling rather stimulated the population growth in Luangwa.

“The act of culling removes excess males and frees resources for the remaining females, leading to increased births […] rather than suppressing population growth rate”, the scientific and peer-reviewed research states.

The claim of an ‘anthrax threat’ also falls short. Local conservation groups say “there is little evidence that culling will have any effect on a seasonal resurgence of anthrax. In a year when rainfall levels and vegetation growth have been normal, there is no proof that a cull of healthy animals would prevent any future anthrax outbreaks.”

Hunting authorities in the region are concerned, saying the “so-called cull is in direct contrast with all safari hunting concessions along the Luangwa Valley.” According to the Safari Hunting Concession agreement, stakeholders are not legally allowed to invite external parties into their territories for commercial hunting.

Mabwe Adventures founder and owner Leon Joubert states, however, that the hunting of the hippo would effectively be taking place in the river, which isn’t within the boundaries of the National Park or hunting concessions. He states that “if the National Parks want to hunt in the National Park, they can hunt in the river.”

The precedent set by this mass-slaughter in a supposedly protected National Park will blur the boundaries of conservation efforts in the National Parks of not only Zambia, but the rest of Africa. “The negative consequences for thousands of hippo and Zambia’s reputation as a wildlife tourism destination cannot be underestimated,” Born Free warns.

Marcel Arzner, a frequent and long-term photographic safari client who has spent thousands over the past three years on trips to the region, cancelled his upcoming visit due to the cull. “My cancelation will be followed by many others. The negative impact on Zambia’s tourism industry will be disastrous”.

Hippos are currently listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Umlilo Safaris, a South African hunting company, is currently advertising the hunt to clients on behalf of Mabwe Adventures, Joubert confirms. The company boasts how clients can shoot five hippos per trip and keep the animals’ tusks. Each hunter will be charged up to $14 000 for five hippos, according to their Facebook site.

Banda and the Zambian Tourism Ministry has provided no adequate justification for the cull, spuriously condemning conservation NGO’s for not opposing the actions during a previous hunting spree from 2011 to 2016.