Minister Of Tourism and Arts Jean Kapata has lifted the ban on hunting in the 19 hunting blocks with immediate effect. Ms Kapata made the announcement at a press briefing held at the Ministry of Tourism head office in Lusaka this morning.
She however said that the hunting will be conducted under laid down conditions and strict supervision from ZAWA. But that the ban on big Cats still stands. Hunting in the said blocks was suspended in 2013 due to inability to select outfitters in these blocks arising from a flawed process in the tender.
Hunting of Lions and other cats was banned on understanding that their populations were depleted to such low levels that it was not sustainable to hunt them.
She has also appealed to everyone to assist government and ZAWA in the conservation of the wildlife and its habitat in Zambia. She said that Zambia prides itself in having arguably the richest bio-diversity on the continent, which we all should guard against depletion..
Article by: The Zambia Wildlife Authority
Please note that we are not the Zambia Tourism Board and don’t make these policy decisions. We are a private organization dedicated to providing information about travel and tourism in Zambia.
UPDATE: Here is ZAWA’s response to this press release: https://www.zambiatourism.com/zawa-explains-hunting-ban-lift
Please reinstate the ban on hunting elephants. The population of elephants is at risk due to poaching and they are a very intelligent species. We have no right to take the lives of these majestic beings. I implore you to target tourists with cameras rather than guns. There are more of us out there that would rather see their beauty alive than dead.
I’m am completely beside myself with your decision to allow the hunting of these beautiful majestic souls! Why would you allow such a murderous activity especially since so, few remain & with their gestation period of 22 months! How are you doing anything great for these elephants & the ecosystems? I will NEVER promote your country for tourism! I will however; continue to expose your complete disregard for these beautiful creature’s lives! You should be ashamed of yourself & your murderous ways to drive these lives into extinction! This can not be a proud moment to know you signed away their lives & issued them a death sentence! This is not the way to promote your country in such a violent & murderous light. You should be very ashamed of your poor decisions & failure to preserve life!
Sincerely,
Tracy L. Donolo
Please ban elephant hunting.
I believe this decision to be wrong. These creatures and fellow beings deserve to live their lives freely as anyone should. Please reconsider this decision.
Zambia will unfortunately be taken off my map of places to visit until this has changed.
Lisa J Emery
Canada
Minister Kapata.I respectfully ask that you reconsider the decision of lifting the hunting ban in your country. These animals are your national treasures and a great draw, alive, for tourism. Yes your country has great natural diversity, but wouldn\\’t you rather see it wild than hunted? Conservation is a deception. A guise for hunting. Please do not be swayed. Thank you for time.
I can’t believe your country is lifting the hunting ban on some of your beautiful & nearly extinct animals.Please think about the consequences of your actions.once these fantastuc animals are gone,they are gone FOREVER Christine Cotton
PLEASE SPARE THESE PRECIOUS, BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS! THIS IS WRONG.
Please realize that you are the custodians of a world heritage. Your legacy as a preservationist is far more valuable to you then anything else. The planet is on the verge of a mass extinction. Please learn from our mistakes. Save your wildlife.
Dear Mr. Minister of Turism of Zambia,please turn back on your decision of allowing hunting in Zambia. You should protect by all means your wildlife. The african elefant is on the brink of extinction. Your wildlife is one of the world´s greatest treasures please protect it, don´t promote it´s destruction.
With My best regards,
Luís Filipe Freitas
Sorry to hear the decision to lift the ban on elephant hunting. I vacation quite frequently but will not bring my vacation dollars to Zambia. Please reconsider this decision. These magnificent beauties should be protected and not hunted. They are your heritage. It’s clear you care more about monies from trophy hunters. Shame on you!!!
Please help me understand how this decision was made. Please tell me how you can lift a ban that is guaranteeing safe passage for your wild animals? How can you simply remove this ban and sit back while innocent and possibly almost extinct animals, get slaughtered due to your outrageous and possibly corrupt decision. How do you sleep at night?
Are you serious? You are actually ALLOWING people to hunt animals other than cats? What about the rights of ALL of the other animals? What about their right to be alive and enjoying life as well? This is absolutely outrageous and such backward thinking. It saddens me that this was the decision of someone like Jean Kapata who clearly is not capable of making correct and environmentally safe decisions. PLEASE… can this decision be overturned or at least revisited? What other hope do these poor animals have? Has everyone just given up on them? What a sad day this is. PLEASE reconsider!
Another unaffordable bullseye placed on elephants. I travel to Southern Africa for safari every other year. My tourism dollar no longer will be spent in Namibia (allotted 9 permits to kill rare desert ele) or Zambia. I thought these two countries at one time were following in the steps of Botswana; this news speaks to the fact that special interest is being rewarded at a price that is unconscionable.
Just as we find out more elephants are being killed than there are born… well done on making an awful decision.
SHAME ON YOU ZAMBIA! The travesty of continuing to allow an overkill of elephants and other wildlife is hard to fathom. Your ignorance knows no bounds.
This is shameful, and the dimensions of this travesty are hard to fathom. Elephant populations are the victims of overkill and their numbers are in steep decline, with extinction now a real possibility within the next few years. SHAME ON YOU, ZAMBIA.
You need to help save these majestic animal – they are endangered and need protesting. Please reinforce the ban. As you say\”. It is blessed with fantastic wildlife\” let\’s keep that way. Thankyou
Please revoke this decision. No hunting in Zambia. it is not necessary. Please save the wildlife of your beautiful country. Hunting is not the answer it will not preserve wildlife. Botswana has a no hunting ban let this ban start to grow through Africa.Tourists want to see wild life not shoot it. You gain more Kwacha for your people through tourists not hunters
Ridiculously dangerous decision! Announcements like this beg for a BOYCOTT!
It was my intention to travel to Zambia next year. I will no longer include Zambia in my itinerary, but will stick to Botswana, where hunting of elephants is NOT allowed. This is a terrible decision.
I believe that the lifting of ban on hunting of elephants in Zambia will be very detrimental to tourism. My family and I will not travel there as long as this is in effect. Maybe hunters will enjoy travelling there, but the rest of the world will not