Operators in Zimbabwe have ignored the mounting pressure and global moral call to end elephant-back safaris.  

Shane White, Marketing Director at Wild Horizons, told Tourism Update: “From discussions we have had with some of the other operators, it would seem that elephant rides will still be an option for Vic Falls.”

Clement Mukwasi, Spokesperson for Shearwater Vic Falls, as well as  Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe President,  told NewsDay that operators had slowly began transitioning (elephant safaris), however it was now business as usual.

According to Mukwasi, establishments have not been terminating these activities abruptly, but rather introducing various programmes that will, in time see the retirement of these animals. 

Mukwasi said one had to consider the various factors before complying. “We need to strike a balance between terminating someone’s job and elephant activities because, if you look at the Zimbabwean Constitution, we are not committing any offence,” reported NewsDay.

He said many tourists enjoyed the elephant activities, such as walking with them, feeding and riding them, all of which boosted the industry.

When asked if the end of such activities might negatively impact tourism, Ian Michler, Co-Leader of the Blood Lions global campaign responded: “The opposite may well be true, as those operators that continue to offer exploitative activities could go out of business as more and more visitors to Southern Africa shun such activities.”

White commented: “Elephant-back safaris and encounters are only a part of this collection of activities and I do not believe that, should elephant-back safaris not be offered, there would be a reduction in visitors.

 “We do hope that guests realise that they have the power to make a difference. Being a conscious traveller can have a material impact in ensuring the ethical and humane treatment of elephants throughout Southern Africa. We believe that ceasing to offer elephant-back safaris is the right thing to do. However, we still offer an ‘elephant encounter’ that focuses on a conservation experience.”

The most effective way to tackle the issue, according to Michler, is to stop operators from removing elephants from the wild and to stop the indiscriminate breeding that currently takes place.

“Activities that exploit wildlife, such as elephant-back riding, cub-petting and walking with lions, are all significant money-spinners for the operators. The reluctance to end these practices in favour of responsible and ethical activities is mostly about money,” says Michler.

There was definitely a shift toward ending all tourism products that featured wild animals, said White.

 From January 1, Wild Horizons has made strides in the termination of elephant-back safaris and instead began offering an elephant conservation experience at the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary at Vic Falls.

“The transition from riding elephants, which has traditionally funded the substantial monthly operational costs of the elephant orphanage, to a more hands-off elephant encounter is a process that will take some time to achieve. Although riding has ceased at Wild Horizons, the goal is now to try and convert this business to a more educational experience, which will be a slow process, particularly if rides are still being offered by other operators,” said White.

 “We understand enough about elephants to know that riding them is unacceptable. And global tourism companies increasingly want to offer responsible and ethical activities. These two factors alone call for an immediate and complete end to all elephant-back riding,” concluded Michler.  

Botswana banned elephant-back safaris from January last year, and TripAdvisor announced it would no longer sell tickets to certain activities that posed animal welfare and conservation issues in 2016. Instagram followed suit in 2017, announcing that the company had enabled tools that delivered a pop-up message whenever someone searched or clicked on a hashtag such as #elephantrides, triggering a notification informing the relevant people of the behind-the-scenes animal abuse.