The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has announced that it is suspending the hippo culling exercise in the Luangwa Valley.
Ministry of Tourism and Arts Public Relations Officer Sakabilo Kalembwe said this has been necessitated by events that have come with the culling activity that started in May.
“In the meantime, the department will evaluate the matter and provide a way forward. Culling is a wildlife management measure usually taken in situations where the population of a particular species exceeds the carrying capacity of the habitat, thereby the habitat cannot support the given species,” Mr Kalembwe said.
He said recent research revealed that the water levels in the Luangwa River system have been low and insufficient to support the hippo population especially in the dry season.
Mr Kalembwe said DNPW has assessed the situation and estimated that 2,000 hippos need to be culled in a space of five (5) years.
“Following the suspension of the culling operations, the department is making extensive consultations and will make further pronouncements on the matter as it deems fit according to its mandate. The department is committed to the protection and sustainable utilisation of wildlife resources for ecological and socio-economic benefits for the present and future as mandated by Wildlife Act Number 14 of 2015,” he said.
There has been growing outrage from conservation groups after leaked images showed a South African professional hunting outfit posing with hippo after a successful culling expedition in the South Luangwa.
Why does the PF government love killing animal?
Not only animals. Since RB joined, they started killing anything, including MMD and PF itself. Even their own campaign is now skinned like that hippo.
I remember one joker who wanted to play smart on this issue. Glad the public relations officer ha used my exact words.
“Lost Soul” – What precisely were your exact words – becoz NO WHERE DID YOU MENTION SUSPENSION OF THE CULL!!!!
Ba PamaFI caught out again!!! SO THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN NO CONSERVATION JUSTIFICATION IN THE FIRST PLACE – becoz if there had been – the exercise WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED – IT WAS ALL A MONEY MAKING EXERCISE for the “mu bunu”, with chagwa & co being given a few crumbs thereafter!!!
UMWENSO ba mambala!! This is the Chakolwa who boasts of having a big/long stick to wack his opponents – we yet have to see it – though maybe, we should be asking “Mumbi Fibili” – she may have already been given preferential viewing!!!!
WE DEFINITELY DO NOT NEED A BUNU to come & cull our wildlife – we’ve got Hunters cum poachers, who would be very keen to have some work to keep them…
…..to keep them busy, as to keep their “mu tutilas” well oiled & to put more money in their pockets, rather than it ending in RSA!!!!!
“Chagwa the VISIONLESS”, always reacting with a KNEEJERK REACTION – UPND nai ibika ichimwela!!! ba PamaFi ni shiki polomia over!!! Saulosi, give us your address, we will send you some “Shinda paper” or do you use leaves???
Vote Zambia FORWARD!! Vote WISELY 11/8/2016!! Vote UPND!! Abantu baya!!
#chagwamustfall!! #PamaFIkuyabebele!!
I thank you!!
Today they say this, tomorrow they say we did not mean that. What is wrong?
This is when they want to do research???? We need to seriously reorganize public administration.
The POWER OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who has been arguing that bloggers have MINIMAL or No INFLUENCE IN ZED??????????????
THE CROOKED POACHERS led by one in PLOT one, thought they would pull this one off without the country knowing about it!!
Vote WISELY 11/8/2016!! VOTE A A PARTY THAT HAS THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY AT HEART!! A PARTY WITH A VISION FOR ZAMBIA!! VOTE UPND!!! Abantu baya!!
I thank you!!
Great news!!! Great victory for all the Zambians who vehemently condemned this and stood up to it. If it was meant to be secretive, it failed to remain a secret for too long. This is what we need to be doing fellow Zambians: Expose anything that doesn’t seem right, or anything that smacks of corruption. There’s no place to hide anymore. Honestly there was no need to involve a foreigner in this, something that the government can do without outside help. Why doesn’t the DNPW carry out the whole thing? Set up a website, advertise to hunters. That way we will be assured that the money realized from it, will remain in Zambia and benefit the Zambians. And make sure to make this exercise transparent so everybody knows what’s going on.
You took note of our comments thank you…listening to bloggers like one cadre who I cant remember who is full of nothing but hyperboles will not take us anywhere.
Thanks to social media, this department is thinking again.
Good for you jay jay. It goes to show,if you know yourself, your consciousness will help you discern right and wrong.
Credit should also go to patriotic bloggers like @Jay Jay who pointed out the disguised trophy hunting that Zawa were carrying out. As usual with PF when exposed, they flip – flop. None of their actions is ever justified nor well thought out. That’s why
#ChagwaMustFall
#PFmustGo
#PF Zwaa!
@Zagaze – Zambians have to stand up together against what is wrong especially corruption irrespective of political affiliation, our country’s best interests comes first…the reason for decision to cull hippos has now changed from anthrax to overcrowding due to low level water; if that is the case why not nature take its course and weed out the old and weak. We have had droughts in the past and no one has ever contemplated culling hippos.
This is why I always say that the worst cancer to us Africans is our own educated brothers and sisters who have all those papers but absolutely no common sense whatsoever…even if this was justifiable a big chunk of the forex was being spent in RSA as is the case with these packaged all inclusive holidays.
Good job Jay Jay! You spoke out for the silent majority.
IF THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE HABITAT IN QUESTION HAS REACHED ITS MAXIMUM, OF WHICH I DON’T BELIEVE, THEN GOVERNMENT SHOULD TRANSFER SOME OF THOSE ANIMALS TO OTHER MAJOR RIVERS AND WATER BODIES IN ZAMBIA WHERE THEY CAN START A NEW LIFE AND CONTINUE TO EXIST. WE CAN’T AFFORD TO KEEP LOSING OUR NATURAL HERITAGE FROM WHICH OUR FUTURE GENERATION SHOULD BENEFIT. LUNGU IS DESTROYING ALL WHAT OUR FOREFATHERS SACRIFICED FOR. ABASH LUNGU. ABASH KAMINAMINSA JAMESON CHAKOLWA SMOOTH CRIMINAL LUNGU MALAWIAN.
Professional Wild Life Consultants have reason to Culling Hippos …they know the facts on water levels and implications of the drought on Hippo population. It is important that the Money is used for Conservation projects.
Police must investigate where the money is going.
DO NOT ARGUE FROM A POINT OF IGNORANCE!! Hippo populations are only partially dependent on water availability – if need be a hippo can leave one body of water & go looking for another if there is insufficient water to keep it cool, or if it has lost out on some “Water-Realestate” – as hippos ALWAYS DO!!! They DON’T NEED RUTHLESS KILLERS & DRUNKS TO DO IT FOR THEM!!
Please DO NOT MISUSE THE WORD CONSULTANT for IGNORAMUSES ON WILDLIFE!! Becoz if indeed they knew the behaviour of Hippos & how they resolve their overburdening of a stretch of water, we wouldn’t have IGNORANT CADRES singing their “MASTERS VOICE!!”
VOTE WISELY 11/8/2016!! VOTE ZAMBIA FORWARD!! VOTE FOR THE PARTY THAT HAS A VISION WHICH WILL UNITE & PROPER ZAMBIA!! VOTE UPND!! Abantu baya!!
#chagwamustfall!!…
….#chagwamustfall!! #pamaFIkuyabebele!!
I thank you!!
Zoona.
#ChagwaMustFall
#PFmustGo
#PF Zwaa!
Give these animals to the locals to sell and befit..! ni nyama za mabunu olo ni zasu seo bantu ba ku Malambo? vakuti vanu mwa..? Seo tikulya delele ynama mwapasa mabunu! Acheta mweo…anyandule ..nsanya za bantu! Ndimwe akapapasha!!
Truly, the local people should benefit from this resource, not overfed, over paid, over here Boers.
Good move! It is good to listen and evaluate what others are saying,discuss,consult and then see the way forward.Only for account of may be difficult logistics, I would propose that culling is carried out alongside relocation! I believe the Luapula,Chambeshi,Kafue and indeed other rivers in Zambia have lower hippo populations but with sufficient water to support more hippos. So those culling these animals should also be given a condition to relocate some of these animals to other areas. It may be costly but worth a try even if we relocated 500 out of the earmarked 2000 to be slaughtered we would have demonstrated a good conservation effort!
I agree with “Zambia is ours”. Relocation is also the solution for these Hippos. As a way to conserve some of the Hippos, some can be sold to Game farmers as well who in turn can make some revenue from people visiting their farms like Kalimba ‘Crokondile’ (Crocodile or reptile farm). 2000 is huge number and moreover there are countries without hippos please EXPORT these animals. Lets get some marketing strategy right.
If you recall, a couple of months ago some south Africans nationals & a Zimbabwean were nabbed with antelopes on a plane ready to be smuggled out of Zambia. These animals are of high value to others who see them from outside and can us Forex. Why don’t we appreciate our own resources, it takes an outsider to tell us that hey, wake up you sleeping on “Gold”. God bless…
A government run by a moslem drunk and short-sighted e.d yot.
Corruption is @ the heart of this culling exercise, & the truth will be out after August 11, 2016.
#ChagwaAzagwa!
Calling from the valley here, Please ensure crocodiles become extinct like dinosaurs too. The crocs are busy killing us. Cull crocodiles, we are fighting for space with them. Yesterday, they killed another child here
Now who was talking sense between saulos and jay jay.remember the hot debate between the two
That is why policy analysis is important. you don’t just wake up to implement a policy only to reverse it. It shows there is something wrong.
We could go for adopt a Hippo campaign that will solve the problem:)
People don’t excited here, the key word used according to my interpretation, is, ‘suspends’ and not cancelled.
This activities need to be given to locals to benefit, period! otherwise the calculations are reveling that a foreigner could have pocket a lot than the Zambians…..
Why not relocate these poor animals, who can not even speak for themselves. Most countries would do anything to receive these animals and lot of good money can be earned. Part of this money can be used to develop the communities living in the surrounding areas. Leadership is Zambia’s biggest problem at every level of governance & once sorted, it will be one of the greatest nations. Maybe it is just a pipe dream.
Thank you very much to all who were involved and this goes to show in numbers nothing is impossible. Let’s try to remain on the topic than attacking one another as it deters from the subject at hand and causes confusion. I truly believe Jean Kapata is incapable of running this sector which is beyond her understanding. Carrying Capacity – refers to a destinations ability to absorb tourism without deteriorating; in other words capacity intervenes in the relationship between the tourist and the destination. We never head there were over populations in hippos or the fact that people were being killed unless they invaded their territory and another issue could be human wildlife conflict which Jean Kapata and Stephen Mwansa are supposed to know how to handle. When you have such roles it’s not…
When you have such roles it’s not for glory and you actually have to put in the work and effort and not go shopping abroad, dress up in fancy clothing and attend glamorous functions. Its about putting your hard earned university education and over 8 years’ experience in this sector to make it work. Each animal plays a key role in ecosystems. Crocodiles clean the rivers from dead caucuses that can block the water stream and crocodiles and hippos usually balance themselves out. The problem is people in management who think they are above others and don’t involve the community, stakeholders, DMO’s, shareholders, government in these decisions in hopes of making a quick buck. When you are clean in the first place and people know what is going on than they will be no questions if people are…
When you are clean in the first place and people know what is going on than they will be no questions if people are given a chance to be heard or participate. With all the job creation the minister talks about why hire an international organisation she should know its “LEAKAGE” and instead of money benefiting Zambians it’s supporting another countries GDP and creating employment for its citizens. We have the issue of youth unemployment could she not have given part time work? This is to show you the type of person they hired as Minister of Tourism of Arts. She can start by making changes to that outdated website from 2009. They want these fancy roles yet cannot manage them. President Lungu any comments?
The appointing authority of Jean kapata as tourism minister is not a leader.
All this Jean kapata is good for is organising Street parties in livingstone.
The tourism industry in Zambia should be one of the best in the world but instead it hits the headlines for secretive trophy hunting of hippos.
This thick corrupt minister does not even know that all those trophy hunting trips are booked and paid in SA with small change ending in Zambia.
(DNPW) what’s going on with your minister? Did she study Sustainable Tourism? What do the WTO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM INDICATORS teach us Ba Minister? Remember: “site protection, stress, use intensity, social impact, development control, waste management planning process, critical ecosystems, consumer satisfaction, local satisfaction tourism contribution to local economy,” the 11 indicators act as a specific measure. Why kill 24 lions then hippos could it be trophy hunting? Communities don’t benefit nor see a dime which ends in ministers pockets. No poverty alleviation because you hire an international organisation advertising trophy hunting worldwide to come kill Zambia’s wildlife. No job creation, no salaries for Zambian Wildlife people who work hard in protecting wildlife?…
Why do we need activist groups to report this news? Was it a secret culling program? smh… These things should be public, by law. Hippo overpopulation can be a problem but not just quietly bringing a South African to start shooting hoping nobody will notice
Yes sell to zambian hunters keep the money in Zambia……We all want to shoot something with our guns… sell us the hippos.