Lion Hunt Ban Still On
From Radio Voice Of The People

BULAWAYO, August 15 2008 - The ban on lion hunting is still in force despite calls by some safari operators in Matabeleland north province to have it lifted citing a marked improvement in the population of the big cats, Radio VOP has learnt.



Spokesperson for the National Parks and Wild Life Management Authority, Retired Major Mbewe, told Radio VOP that the ban was still in force.


“I don’t think the numbers are good enough to start hunting. We still have a few lions and their numbers need to grow first,†he said.


The authority imposed a ban on the hunting of lions in 2004 after their numbers declined sharply as a result of massive hunting, loss of habitat and lack of prey. Until 2002, the Parks Authority approved an annual quarter of 60 adult males and the majority of lions were shot. Hunting outside game sanctuaries also created a vacuum effect, causing a continuous flow of animals from the centre of the park into hunting concession areas where they were gunned down.


“We have got lots of lions here which are terrorizing villagers’ animals and yet the Parks Department continues to impose the ban. We feel that we have lots of lions here and it’s high time that this ban is lifted.†complained Lovemore Ncube a safari operator based in the Gwaai conservancy. He claimed that the lion population was sustainable, basing on the game counts conducted in safari farms last year.


However Mbewe insisted that operators were misled as they some times counted the same pride more than twice.


“These are wild animals and they move, they can be counted more than once.†he said.


Lion hunting remains a contentious issue in Eastern and Southern Africa with Kenya pushing hard for an international ban on trade of lion trophies and skins.


For example, the country is arguing that although half of the African kings of the jungle are protected in national parks, there was concern regarding fifty percent living outside the parks.


Experts estimated that 200 000 lions roamed across Africa in 1975 but the figures declined to an estimated 76 000 in 1980. By 2002 the number had drastically fallen to about 39 000. Lions are found only in Africa and Asia while the European Middle Eastern and Cape, lions are now extinct.


Under the voluntary treaty known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITES, regulated hunting of African lion is permitted. Tanzania , South Africa , Zimbabwe Namibia, Botswana and Zambia sell lucrative hunting licenses to trophy hunters who in turn provide the much needed foreign currency to develop tourism facilities.

A sad post to read. When I was in Zimbabwe in 1993, my outfitter, himself a licensed PH and resident in Zimbabwe, had a reputation of being a "lion man" who was called in by the Ministry to dispose of problem lions now and then. He predicted to me that there would be no effective sport lion hunting in Africa within 20 years. He seems to have been nearly on the button. The Ministry may refer to "massive hunting" as one cause but my outfitter believed that loss of habitat would be the deciding factor. The lion is a predator and, of course, is a fighter -which, sadly for the lion, man does not like near its farms. As I say, a sad story and I certainly have no solution.

I am confused about this post. Has all sport hunting of lions in Zimbabwe been closed?

quote:

Originally posted by BigBoreCore:
I am confused about this post. Has all sport hunting of lions in Zimbabwe been closed?

Mike,
As far as I'm aware this is only for the Wankie area. Ie, Matetsi.