News from the River Horse's Mouth

A RIVER RUNS RED
Byline: Hermione River-Horse,  from the River Express. 
19 June - Dry Season, Zambia

 

Hermione River-Horse is an African correspondent covering issues affecting her species, the environment and the African continent for the River Express. She is a Gold Watermark winning journalist.*

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Here on the banks of the Luangwa River a tragedy is unfolding, in the past few weeks at least 6 hippos have been shot, skinned and butchered [1].  We took to the sand bars to ask the affected Hippos how the killing is impacting their community.

It’s 5 am and the air and river is cool. The river’s levels are lowish, but nothing out of the ordinary, similar to other seasons at the same time of year. I have come out to interview the hippos in the South Luangwa National Park (SLNP), but these incidents that have so impacted their family are to be repeated in multiple locations along the Luangwa River in the Luangwa Valley as well as here in South Luangwa, also at Luambe NP and North Luangwa NP.  Reportedly up to 2000 hippos will lose their lives in the killing seasons.

The scene appears peaceful, but as I approach the pod of hippos I can hear their levels of concern. Many have just returned from the night shift. The rumbles and snorts louder than usual, they are upset and stressed. No-one wants to be seen on camera. Names have been changed to protect identity.

*This is the transcript and description of those interviews.  

[READ MORE]

Did you want Anthrax with that?

Warning: Graphic images of butchery and skin lesion

 

[1] Illustration only. Removal of fresh hippopotamus meat from poached carcass

DNPW are saying the ‘cull’ (which is in fact ‘trophy hunting’) is to ‘control anthrax’. This appears to be a convenient excuse to raise some revenue. They can’t have it both ways can they? 

Anthrax control v's Meat Sales...

[2] Image: Fair use from

None of the hippos who have been killed and butchered are being tested for anthrax (as far as I know) and the meat taken from the hippo’s bodies are already being sold from the back of the vehicles in the local villages for a K-tenner or so, per kilo.

Do the people buying the meat know that anthrax is a concern of DNPW or that the so called reason hippos are being killed is to ‘stop the spread of anthrax’.


The Director of DNPW, Paul Zyambo must be upfront about what this whole operation is all about. It is not good enough to call the operation an Health Issue and then potentially put people's lives at risk. It is not good enough to generate revenue from Trophy Hunting calling it a cull and selling the hippo's flesh from the back of vehicles.

Mr Zyambo cannot have it both ways. Either the hippos have anthrax and need to be 'culled' for safety reasons, therefore their meat cannot be sold and eaten without risking human lives, or they do not have anthrax and are being killed purely for revenue raising in a deal with a foreign trophy hunter.

If anthrax is (really) a concern why would the DNPW allow the the sale of the meat out of the back of the meat processor’s trucks to local people?

If this is an exercise in anthrax control, why doesn’t the DNPW burn the carcasses?

PS:  If you know these men, please, keep a close eye on the skin of the Hippo butchers (pictured above) and anyone else who has handled or carried the Hippo’s flesh because if there is anthrax then lesions can appear on the skin called Cutaneous Anthrax Lesions.

[3] Image: Cutaneous Anthrax Lesion 

*Humans and animals can ingest anthrax from carcasses of dead animals that are infected with Anthrax. In 2011 in Chama in eastern Zambia – 500 people got sick and 5 died after eating anthrax contaminated hippos. Handling or eating anthrax infected hippo meat can cause illness.

*http://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/news-multimedia/features/hungry_hippos [dot] html

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Note Image Sources - Fair Use
1. Arkive

Image credit  © Bruce Davidson / naturepl.com
 
2. 

http://www.safaribwana.com/NewSB2008/Hippocarry2.JPG

3. 

http://latest.com/2015/05/military-accidentally-ships-live-anthrax-to-nine-states-yours/

Born Free Foundation Media Release - 7th June 2016

Further to the news that trophy hunting under the guise of culling hippos in the South Luangwa commenced in May. The Born Free Foundation has released a media release on 7 June 2016.

See Original Post by Hippo Whistler here

Note: There is no association between Hippo Whistler and BFF. Published for Public Interest.
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 For Immediate Release 7th June 2016

Born Free calls on Zambia to abandon hippo cull 2,000 hippos to be culled over the next five years International wildlife charity, Born Free Foundation, has condemned Zambia’s plan to kill 400 hippopotamuses a year over the next five years in the Luangwa River Valley, an area world-famous as a wildlife stronghold. According to reports, the cull (which has already started) was sanctioned by the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) as a ‘wildlife management tool’ to prevent the future spread of anthrax among wild animals along a 250km stretch of riverine forest between Chikwa in North Luangwa and Lusangazi in South Luangwa. However, in what some are speculating as a measure to keep the proposed slaughter under wraps for as long as possible, local stakeholders were only informed about the cull four days before it started. They were also advised that the killing would be opened up to non-Zambian trophy hunters, raising questions about the legality of the hunt and its motivations. A five-year hunting contract has been reportedly awarded to Mabwe Safaris, and is being marketed by a South African hunting company called De Marillac Safaris (www.demarillacsafaris.co.za) Born Free President and Co-Founder, Will Travers OBE, stated: “There are many questions about this abhorrent activity, questions that simply must be answered: Is it a cull or is it ‘trophy hunting’? What is the scientific rationale for killing up to 2,000 hippo (there are perhaps as few as 80,000 hippo in all of Southern Africa)? Is culling an effective way of addressing the possible spread of anthrax? Where will the money from the cull really end up? Is there truly an over-population issue with hippo in the Luangwa area? He continued: “At a time when wildlife populations of multiple species are under extreme pressure across much of Africa, many, including Born Free and our supporters around the world, fundamentally question the logic of killing thousands of hippo, and turning the flood plains of the Luangwa River Valley into ‘killing fields’. I am sure the hippo cull, along with Zambia’s decision to re-instate trophy hunting of lions, will cause many to question whether Zambia is the right wildlife safari destination for them. I urge the authorities to call a halt to the killing with immediate effect.” The hippopotamus is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List with recent population estimates suggesting that, over the past 10 years, there has been a 7%-20% decline in hippo populations. The Born Free Foundation will be closely monitoring events in Zambia and will be regularly updating its website www.bornfree.org.uk  as this horrific story unfolds. ENDS _____________________________ FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT BORN FREE'S PR DEPARTMENT: Shirley Galligan, PR Director T: 0207 792 9668 M: 07773 848352 Beth Brooks, Press Officer T: 01403 246903 M: 07544 209256 Victoria Lockwood, PR Officer T: 01403 240170 M: 07814 284756 Notes to Editors: About Born Free The Born Free Foundation is a dynamic international wildlife charity, devoted to compassionate conservation and animal welfare. Born Free takes action worldwide to protect threatened species and stop individual animal suffering. Born Free believes wildlife belongs in the wild and works to phase-out zoos. We rescue animals from lives of misery in tiny cages and give them lifetime care. Born Free protects lions, elephants, tigers, gorillas, wolves, polar bears, dolphins, marine turtles and many more species in their natural habitat, working with local communities to help people and wildlife live together without conflict. Our high-profile campaigns change public attitudes, persuade decision-makers and get results. Every year, Born Free helps hundreds of thousands of animals worldwide. For more information about Born Free please visit: www.bornfree.org.uk

Hippo Hunt South Luangwa

 WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

The Irony of DNPW's Logo and Motto

HIPPO WHISTLE BLOWER

Dear Friends of Wildlife, journalists, advocates.

There is an urgent situation arising in the South Luangwa region of Zambia. Hippo hunting license/s have been awarded to a foreign Professional Hunter (PH) with large bag limits (up to 2,000 over 5 years) under the guise of animal management. The PH is on-selling hippo trophy hunts to other foreign nationals. Allegedly awarded last year by the now dissolved ZAWA, the new DNPW appears to have forged ahead with the revenue raiser.

At least two hippo have been killed in the past few days, urgent action is called for  - including investigative journalism and world wide publication of the story.

Also welcome is targeted advocacy/activism to stop the hunting.

Any media exposè, campaigning, petitioning etc welcome.

Note: Photos are graphic and show both a trophy hippo hunt picture and butchery of hippos.

(Photos here) from 31 May 2016.

The photos have been downloaded from a DNPW officer’s private Facebook page (posts were public) his name is Kamisa Malipita. (Screen shots provide proof of the the source)

The source of the details about this matter must remain anonymous, apologies for no identifying information.

In hope of action to save thousands of Hippos

A Friend of Wildlife

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The Original Images

The peaceful Luangwa River: assume this was taken from Hippo Hunting Camp.

He/she almost made it back to the water

Preparing nyama (meat)... Hippo butchery on the banks of the South Luangwa 31 May 2016

Hippo reduced to body parts. (original source: http://www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/hippos/zambia-hippo-cull/warning-graphic-images/)

Preparing nyama... Hippo butchery on the banks of the South Luangwa 31 May 2016

All that is left of two hippo.

The Hippo Hunt Story in Zambia
Dateline: May-June and ongoing 2016

The Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW - formerly ZAWA) has issued licenses to professional hunting outfitters in 2016 onward to ‘cull’ hippos. 

There are real questions as to the legality of the original issuance of the license/s.

DNPW have sold a number of hippo licenses to a Professional Hunter from South Africa, Theo De Marrilac. http://www.demarillacsafaris.co.za and https://www.facebook.com/theo.demarillac
(See attached PDF link from Mr De Marrilac's PH operation advertising the hunts.)

The photographs (shown above and linked below) sourced from the DNPW officer’s FB page clearly show a hunter with a hippo carcass and other images of preparation of the killed hippo’s bodies for meat. (Note: Graphic warning)

DNPW are calling these hunts a wildlife management tool. There were questions raised by the new Director of DNPW that the licenses may not have been legal and were arranged under the now defunct ZAWA last year. Despite this, DNPW have forged ahead with the contract and killing has commenced. Serious management issues have seen ZAWA disbanded in recent times and the New DNPW established. (See relevant Zambian legislation in regards the change of operations, linked below.)

Recent meetings with the representatives from 6 local Community Resource Board (CRB) have confirmed that they will benefit from the hunt revenues.  All the CRB’s agreed to the hunt, on the promise of revenue. The hunting was flagged in these meetings to commence 22 May 2016. The photographs were uploaded to the DNPW Officer’s Facebook page on 31 May 2016.

Information received indicates that the DNPW had either contracted or issued an exclusive license to a South African hunting outfitter, Theo De Marrillac to oversee, or manage what they are euphemistically calling the “cull” for animal management purposes, but which is in reality solely to sell hippo hunts to foreign hunters.

At the community meeting the officials from DNWP stated that the cull will be of whole herds of hippo; which would also mean that pregnant and suckling females and babies will be killed, which is in contravention of the Wildlife Act, if individual foreign trophy hunters undertake these killings. Please note though that the advertising material from the PH selling the hunts promise "walk and stalk hunt over floodplains".  (See attached advertising material.) Again, if this walk and stalk is the only modus operandi - suckling females who may have sequestered infants while out to graze could be killed. Leaving orphans to suffer. If pod masters are killed, this leads to the destabilization of the herds.

To the best of knowledge no Environmental Impact Assessment has been prepared or submitted.

Local professional hunters safari outfitters (PH) were up in arms. The bag is 400 a year, there is talk of the bag being 4 hippo's a day for 5 years in four separate locations along the Luangwa River. The hunting season is 4 months duration. If this is the case, then it is potentially running to 2,000 hippos over 5 years, [1] a significant proportion of the hippo population in the Luangwa Valley. 

The local safari outfitters (PH), are concerned at the way Zambian authorities have conducted this licensing. There was talk of a court challenge by some of the local PH to issue an injunction against these hunts. The local PH's operating in the area have hunting concession with exclusive rights to hunting, it appears they have gone into negotiations with the foreign hippo hunters to allow the safari hunting clients to hunt hippos on their concessions to their financial benefit.

The Safari industry (non-consumptive) in the area are also very concerned - but may feel they have their hands tied as DNPW officials and local conditions means anyone speaking out may lose their concession licenses to operate their lodges.

To show just how challenging a hippo hunt is… a well known Big Game hunter, Safari Bwana, has this to say about Hippo hunting… "To hunt a hippo is probably as challenging as beating a fly to death with a rolled up piece of newspaper” Source: http://www.safaribwana.com/ANIMALS/animpages/hippo.htm

The Luangwa River is one of the major tributaries of the Zambezi River, and one of the four biggest rivers of Zambia. The river generally floods in the rainy season (December to March) and then falls considerably in the dry season. When the dry season is particularly bad, as it has been for several years, the pressure on hippo populations is huge.The Luangwa River is one of the biggest unaltered rivers in Southern Africa and has 50,000 square kilometers of surrounding wildlife habitat along it's valley.

The hippopotamus is listed as *Vulnerable on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Redlist. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/10103/0.

By way of analogy, until the 1980's the Black Rhinoceros was at this species greatest concentration on the African Continent in the Luangwa Valley. They were hunted to extinction. The government and hunting fraternity mindset at the time was the Rhino were a plentiful species and the sale of hunting licenses ran unchecked. The further poaching for the illegal trade in rhino horn saw the end of this species in its entirety in the South Luangwa. The government mindset now is that hippo are plentiful, indeed the [1] largest concentration of hippos on the African continent reside along the Luangwa river. The analogy between the rhino of the 1980's and the hippo of the new millennia is plain to see. If the hunting of thousands of hippos over the next 5 years is allowed what will happen to the natural biology of the hippos of the South Luangwa?

[end]

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SUGGESTED CONTACTS

Suggest contact to relevant members who may have hunting concessions in the South Luangwa, contact details can be found here: PHAZA - PH association of Zambia,

The relevant Government and parastatal authorities are:

The Director of DNPW, Paul Zyambo - paulzya@yahoo.com
+260 21 1278482 Zambia

Tourism and Arts Minister Hon.Jean Kapata, - jkapata@parliament.gov.zm
(260) 977-155782 Zambia
(260) 955-657079 Zambia

Tourism and Arts Deputy Hon Minister Patrick Ngoma - pamngoma@parliament.gov.zm
(260) (211) 292425
(260) (211) 415098

The PH with the license and operating at least one of the hunts is:

Professional Hunter - Theo De Marrillac - theo@demarillacsafaris.co.za
+27 83 451 9566 South Africa


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RESOURCES, SOURCES AND LINKS

PHOTO LINKS
Individual links to photos
Hippo hunter
Hippo butchery 1
Hippo butchery 2
Hippo heads flayed

LEGISLATION
Relevant ACT from Zambian Parliament. See part 31: http://www.parliament.gov.zm/sites/default/files/documents/acts/The%20%20Zambia%20Wildlife%20Act,%202015.pdf

Other relevant legislation about dissolution of  ZAWA and establishment of DNPW: http://www.zambialii.org/zm/legislation/act/2015/14

MEDIA
Note: all media and other organisations publicity about the Hippo Hunting issue is shared for public interest.  Hippo Whistler has no association with any other entity)

Born Free Foundation Website article - 7 June 2016

BFF: Media Release: 7 June 2016
News article about dissolution of ZAWA: http://lusakavoice.com/2015/12/20/zawa-abolished-2/

The state of ZAWA and the new DNPW has been in turmoil for some time with the former Director facing court on 26 July 2016. http://www.postzambia.com/news.php?id=18287

*The ICUN Redlist criterion: http://cmsdocs.s3.amazonaws.com/keydocuments/summary_sheet_en_web.pdf

[1] "There are probably more Common Hippopotamus in Zambia than in any other single country. F. E. C. Munyenyembe puts the country-wide total at 40,000 with 20-25,000 in the Luangwa Valley according to R. H. V. Bell" Source. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/10103/0

[2] Sent to media by Born Free Foundation 7 June 2016.


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The Original Image Source

Screen captures on 4 June 2016 of uploaded images 31 May 2016