Zambia lifts ban on safari hunting to attract tourists

– Ban imposed after allegations of corruption and fears for big cat population
– Wildlife Authority says big game hunting makes country competitive
– Zambia hopes to develop its tourism trade like neighbouring countries
Zambia has lifted a ban on safari hunting after it caused financial problems for the country.
The 20-month ban was imposed in January 2013 over allegations of corruption in the awarding of government hunting concessions, and amid fears for the future of the country’s population of big cats.
‘We lost too much revenue following the ban on hunting and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) had a lot of financial problems,’ said tourism minister Jean Kapata.
Big cats: Sadly, for some tourists, the appeal of hunting these animals is greater than viewing<br /> them” width=”560″ align=”middle” height=”413″ src=”/newshome/wys2/file_attach/2014/09/01/1409508676-11.jpg” /><br /> ZAWA spokesperson Readith Muliyunda said in a statement that the ban on the hunting of lions and leopards remained in place.<br />‘Hunting will be conducted under laid down conditions and strict supervision from ZAWA. But the ban on big cats still stands,’ Muliyunda said.<br /> The southern African country, home to magnificent wildlife and the world-famous Victoria Falls, hopes to develop a wildlife tourism trade, which has long been a mainstay of the economies in neighbouring countries.<br /> At the time the ban was imposed, the former tourism minister Sylvia Masebo said: ‘We do not have enough cats for hunting purposes. The cats are gone.’<br /> ZAWA had opposed the ban, saying it would be bad for the tourism industry.<br /> ‘The population of cats in Zambia is around 3,400 to 3,500, and with the ban on safari hunting for cats we are likely to lose on revenue,’ said ZAWA’s head of research, Chuma Simukonda.<br /> ‘It is these cats that make Zambia’s safari hunting competitive in the region,’ he said.</p> </div> <footer> <!-- post pagination --> <!-- review --> <div class=

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