The ‘ugly face’ of Zimbabwe’s animal tourism market

The sticky tongue

thestickytongue.com

By Candace M Hansen

25 July 2010

Animal welfare groups in Zimbabwe are up in arms over the number of lions being kept in captivity across the country, especially in the wake of lion attacks this year.

The organization Veterinarians for Animal Welfare in Zimbabwe(VAWZ), has revealed after a shock survey that well over 300 lions are being held in captivity, often in poor conditions, in what is being described as the ‘ugly face’ of Zimbabwe’s animal tourism market. Meryl Harrison, an inspector for VAWZ, told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that game park authorities and other independent tourism groups have been removing lion cubs from their mothers at young ages to provide “cute and cuddly” experiences for tourists.

But Harrison explained that the practice is unsafe and inhumane, as the lion cubs quickly become too large and dangerous to be around people. Harrison said lion attacks on people, which statistically occur mostly in sanctuaries and at games lodges, are a direct result of animals being kept in captivity.

“When they reach about 18 months they become unsafe,” Harrison said. “At the end of the day, even if they have been hand reared, they are wild animals that should be appreciated in the wild.”

The VAWZ survey on lion captivity came in the aftermath of two recent attacks by lions this year. In May, Education Minister David Coltart’s eight year old daughter had to be hospitalised after she was attacked by a ‘breeding’ lion. The little girl was apparently stroking the animal through the bars of its pen when it attacked her, mauling her arm.

Just weeks later, a volunteer at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage was attacked by a lion after the pen the animal was being kept in was left open. The volunteer, a 26 year old woman from South Africa, later died in hospital as a result of her injuries.

Harrison continued that the welfare of the lions is also at risk as the animals are rarely successfully reintroduced into the wild. She explained that the animals have never been taught how to hunt, which often results in other game being maimed and left to suffer after they’ve been attacked by inexperienced juvenile lions.

VAWZ and National Parks authorities are now trying to control the situation by proposing a “code of practice.” Harrison explained that the code will help ensure that animal welfare takes precedence over tourism, by controlling the numbers of animals in captivity.

Source: SW Radio Africa