Wildlife Conservation: Elephant Calf Rescued from Poacher’s Snare and Reunited with Its Herd

Collaborative Conservation Efforts in the Zambezi National Park

In the expansive wilderness of the Zambezi National Park, Old Drift Pro Guide, Vusa Sibanda, discovered a distressing scene that would set in motion a remarkable and heart-warming tale of heroic conservation efforts. Within a tight-knit herd of approximately 15 elephants, a young calf was found in a desperate plight, ensnared by a wire snare that had inflicted deep and painful wounds around its neck.

While poachers mostly target antelope and other smaller game, the snares are indiscriminate. The crude, noose-like traps often maim or kill non-targeted animals such as lions, giraffes and in this case, a baby elephant. 

Vusa called Leslie, the Old Drift Lodge manager on duty at the time, and Les wasted no time in reaching out to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, urgently seeking their assistance. The Trust’s dedicated team has successfully freed hundreds of snared animals, including giraffes, buffaloes, lions, hyenas, elephants, kudus, waterbucks, warthogs, and impalas. They arrived at the scene, ready to embark on a challenging rescue mission.

The very nature of snares makes them nearly impossible to remove; the harder an animal pulls, the tighter the snare gets, and rescuing a trapped baby elephant within a protective elephant herd is a complex and risky endeavour.

To minimize potential danger from the anxious mother during the rescue, the mother and calf were simultaneously darted with a sedative.

The injured calf sought solace closer to its mother, and one of the quick-thinking guides manoeuvred a vehicle to gently guide the mother away, ensuring the safety of the rescue team and the vulnerable calf.

Once the calf was safely immobilized, the team carefully approached, skilfully removing the wire snare that had inflicted so much pain. With utmost care and precision, they treated the wounds before reversing the sedative’s effects. As the baby elephant regained consciousness, it instinctively tried to reunite with its mother, but a protective sibling intervened, shielding her tranquillized mother from any harm.

As the sedatives wore off and both elephants awakened, the emotional climax of this remarkable rescue unfolded as the mother and calf were reunited. With their wounds tended to and their spirits rekindled, they rejoined the rest of the herd, who had remained close by, protectively observing the entire operation.

This incredible rescue mission would not have been possible without the heroic efforts of individuals like Adrian Read, Vusa Sibanda, the support of Zimparks, the dedication of Les and Old Drift Lodge, and the unwavering commitment of The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

 

Small Actions Create Huge Change: How You Can Support the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust

 

Since its inception, the Trust has tirelessly worked to remove snares from National Parks areas in the Victoria Falls region and rescue wildlife trapped by the contraptions. Each rescue mission requires drugs, medications, sterile equipment, sampling supplies, as well as personnel and vehicle/aerial support. The drugs and equipment used to remove the snare from 1 elephant cost approximately USD $250.00. If you would like to support their rescue missions, you can make a donation on their website. Find out more here: https://vicfallswildlifetrust.org/projects/fighting-wildlife-crime/

Beyond The Challenges, Our Passion & Purpose Prevails

From the Zambezi River to the surrounding National Parks, Wild Horizons is wholeheartedly invested in Africa’s pristine and unique natural beauty. We work tirelessly to preserve and protect the environment in every dimension of the business, sharing the benefits of ecotourism with the communities we work alongside. 

Our eco-initiatives and empowerment projects have continued despite the downturn in tourism as a result of the global pandemic. We are excited to share with you, two awards we recently received. 

Travelife Partner Status Award

Wild Horizons is proud to announce that we have achieved the Travelife Partner Award in recognition of our long-term efforts and frontrunner position regarding sustainability and innovative ecotourism. We have been pioneering a greener way to travel for over 30 years and are the first organization in Victoria Falls and the second in Zimbabwe to receive this award.

Mr Naut Kusters, manager of Travelife for tour operators stated,

I am delighted to see that sustainability in the tour operators sector is obtaining momentum. The award of the first few tourism companies in Zimbabwe sets an example for the whole Zimbabwean tourism sector. It will inspire other companies to follow the same path.

Naut Kusters

Manager Of Travelife For Tour Operators, Travelife

Wild Horizons complies with more than 100 criteria, related to our office management, product range, international business partners and customer information.

Environmental Management Agency Conservation & Community Empowerment Award

environmental awards wild horizons
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and The Corporate Social Responsibility Network Zimbabwe (CSRNZ) celebrate excellence in sustainable development through awards to the lead performers in this trajectory. 
Wild Horizons received this award in recognition of our positive impact on Zimbabwe’s sustainable development by contributing to the country’s vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals.
This award is inspired by:

Sustainable Management

The immense contribution and involvement in the sustainable management of the environment

Best Business

Adoption of best business practices in every dimension of the organization 

Uplifting Communities

Uplifting and empowering local communities in the region 

Growing Zimbabwe's Economy

Growing Zimbabwe’s economy by contributing to the country’s vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals.

Everything that we do is guided by our core ethos to protect and preserve the environment while sharing the benefits of ecotourism with the Victoria Falls community. Tourism is the life-giving force for the conservation of iconic areas. When you travel with Wild Horizons, you leave Victoria Falls having made a lasting contribution to its natural and cultural legacies. Discover more about our on-going conservation and community empowerment projects in the video below.

As we reflect on the year and look beyond the challenges our industry has faced, we are reminded how much we have to be grateful for. Together with our travellers and partners, we are all making a difference and we will continue to do so in the decades to come. Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

Elephant Art Safari

The Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary and Art of Africa have teamed up to create an eco-conscious and unique elephant experience, brought to life by the artistic strokes of your fingertips, while surrounded by the African bush.

Guests will be provided with canvas, paintbrushes and paint. A private tutor will guide them as they paint the resident herd of elephant while learning about the rescue-rehabilitate-release program. 

Cultural Connections

Clients are taken to an authentic rural village approximately 20km from Victoria Falls town where they are given the opportunity to watch local villagers going about their daily tasks.

The tour enables the client to see rural life first hand; visiting rural homes, watching their fields being tended and possibly getting the chance to help in some of the day-to-day chores. Meet the village chief and learn about the way of life from him.

Home Hosted Meal

We pioneered and continue to facilitate home-hosted meals to create a space within which our team can share their heritage and pass on cultural knowledge to people visiting the region. Wild Horizons provides transport, mineral water and soft drinks, and the host family prepares and shares a meal with their guests. The fee of this activity provides an additional source of income to the family, and promotes an appreciation of local cultures that enrich our guests own travel experience.

Shop With Purpose

Through the Pay It Forward activity offered by Wild Horizons, holiday makers can make their journey ever more meaningful. Teach your family that gratitude is the best gift one can receive by helping an organisation in need, be it an orphanage, old age home or local clinic. Wild Horizons will give you a “wish list” compiled by the organisation, and a mission to fulfil it by exploring the unique markets dotted around the town.

You will then be transported to the organisation to deliver you goods and meet the strangers whose day you have brightened.

Travel Updates | Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana | Wild Horizons

Travel Updates | Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana | Wild Horizons

If ever there was a destination that assured travellers of wide-open spaces, it is undeniably Victoria Falls. The reopening of International Airports is a defining moment for the travel industry, and as borders open, we have the thrilling opportunity to escape to vast wilderness areas.

Over the year, we have had time to dream, and now it is time to move into the planning phase of your safari escape. Here is what you need to know about travelling to Victoria Falls.

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Dusty Road Victoria Falls

Dusty Road Victoria Falls

I started this blog with the words, “The first thing I noticed about Dusty Road..” and then my fingers froze over my keyboard. Because when I...

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Get In Touch

Our products have a purpose. From community empowerment to conservation and culture, we create meaningful and enlightened travel experiences that enrich your experience while giving back to the legacies that make Victoria Falls so spectacular.

Get in touch to book your safari to Victoria Falls today and experience the abundant beauty Victoria Falls promises throughout the year.

The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit

Victoria Falls comprises of many wild and wonderful things, from the sprawling wilderness to the diverse wildlife population. However, poaching is a harsh reality, and if ignored, would cripple Africa’s eco-system.

While Victoria Falls may be home to a natural wonder, it is also the heritage and legacy for a community of people with indomitable strength. The Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit (VFAPU) have boots on the ground and eyes on the future. They are the unsung heroes of every game drive and safari in our National Parks areas, protecting the environment and its inhabitants for generations to come. Wild Horizons has been a proud supporter of VFAPU for 15 years, providing financial and operational aid to further their reach and impact. This meaningful partnership is rooted in a shared sense of purpose and appreciation for the remote wildlife areas that make Victoria Falls such a special, diverse space.

VFAPU comprises 15 high-performing scouts who are trained in the tracking and apprehension of poachers, many of whom pose a lethal threat not just to the animals, but the scouts themselves. It is a job that requires the utmost dedication as the days are long and the challenges daunting. Some patrols take place over several days, venturing deep into the National Park with the team covering up to 15km each day. Small details such as a footprint in the dust or trampled patch of grass can lead the scouts in the right direction. Their senses must remain on high alert for any small piece of evidence that might go unnoticed to the untrained eye.

When one thinks of wildlife poaching, images of poachers with high powered rifles may come to mind. However, this is just one approach. Snares are rudimentary pieces of wire fashioned into a loop, left (and often forgotten about) in areas of high animal traffic. They wrap around the neck or leg of an animal, and the more the animal tries to escape, the tighter the snare becomes. VFAPU have removed 22 500 snares from wildlife areas, saving as many lives in the process. To date, the scouts have rescued nearly 300 mammals who have been injured through poaching activities, all of which received veterinary attention and once recovered, were released back into the wild. A staggering 900 poachers have been apprehended, and the damage prevented through this alone is incomprehensible.

Funding remains one of the biggest challenges that VFAPU faces. Their invaluable work incurs massive costs and donations are vital to ensure the continued success of the organisation. Wild Horizons is a proud supporter of VFAPU, paying the salaries of three scouts each month and sponsoring the fund raising activities hosted by VFAPU.

By simply reading and sharing the work that VFAPU do, the call of the wild travels a little further. However, if you would like to donate to VFAPU, please visit their website at http://vfapu.com/donate/ where you can also discover more about their extensive projects. Financial help is always appreciated, but boots, green shirts, hats, flashlights, sleeping bags, raincoats and medical supplies will also make a difference.

VFAPU started as a team of three dedicated individuals. Now, they have given a global community the power to transform knowledge to action. Because of them, future generations will walk in an elephants footsteps, hear the haunting whoop of a hyena, find shade beneath a tangle of trees and watch a sunset over the pristine Zambezi River. It has been an honour to be part of their journey, and Wild Horizons will continue to be a proud supporter of the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit for decades to come.

Zambezi River Report January 2020

Welcome to our first River Report of the new year, designed to give you regular updates on the Zambezi River levels and how this may impact various activities in Victoria Falls. We are happy to report the water levels are rising steadily and the following seasonal product changes should be noted.

 

Zambezi River Levels

The past few months have been a strife with alarmist reporting alleging that the Victoria Falls is drying up. Year after year, we see a natural fluctuation in the volume of water going over the waterfall; it is a normal and expected phenomenon that exposes a different yet equally beautiful perspective of this geological masterpiece. The only thing that has been unprecedented about the drop in water levels this year is the amount of negative media coverage it has received. As always, we remain at your disposal to dispel any queries or concerns.

 

Aerial view of Victoria Falls in January 2020

 

According to data captured by the Zambezi River Authority on 27 December 2019, 323 000 litres of water was going over the Victoria Falls per second. On the same date last year, this figure was 267 000 litres per second. To put this into perspective, we have drawn on Peter Jones’ example of the water supply to London and adapted it to accommodate the increase in water since his interview.

In a typical year, London uses around 30,092 litres of water per second.

Therefore, on 27 December, the 323, 000 litres of water going over the Victoria Falls could supply 10.7 cities the size of London.

High Water Rafting Season Begins

The high water run started on 10 January 2020 in line with the rising water levels of the Zambezi River. The expeditions will begin 10km downstream of the Falls, starting at the Overland Truck-eater (Rapid 11) through to The End (Rapid 24). This exciting section includes the Mother (Rapid 13) at its brooding best.

 

Hanging over Victoria Falls edge

 

Livingstone Island Update

Devil’s Pool will be closing shortly due to the rising water levels above the Victoria Falls.
However, Livingstone Island tours will remain open until the end of April/May. Angel’s Pool will close at a similar time to the Island.

 

Your Experts On The Ground

Wild Horizons endeavours to be your Victoria Falls experts on the ground and in some cases, from the sky too. Below is a series of aerial images taken on 7 January 2020. The video clip of Devil’s Cataract was taken on the same day. The water levels are on the rise and we look forward to sharing these beautiful views with our agents and guests when they visit Victoria Falls.
Please rest assured that even when the thunderous nature of the waterfall is somewhat tamed during the drier months, the Victoria Falls is a spectacular sight. It is, and always will be, a natural wonder.

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

 

Kind Regards,
The Wild Horizons Team

Victoria Falls throughout the year

From the relentless waves of mist that shoot up from the depths of the gorge, to the rugged rock face that breaks through a gentler flow, the Victoria Falls is magnificent in all her forms. Cloaked in chaotic white water or revealing the basalt that has been moulded by the elements over centuries, the raw power of this natural wonder will consume your imagination and leave you humbled and in awe. This is Victoria Falls throughout the year.

 

January

The height of the rainy season and the Victoria Falls is reaching towards peak flow, with a massive volume of water cascading into the lips of the gorge. You will undoubtedly get drenched and the thick, green vegetation is decorated with bursts of colour as rainforest flowers bloom.

February

The Smoke that Thunders reaches amazing heights during February, joining the clouds that languish above the rainforest. Almost every section of the rainforest is caught in a constant shower of vapour that swells up from the bottom of the gorge.

March

The dramatic rainy season starts to teeter out but the river levels remain high and the Victoria Falls continues to furiously pump the Zambezi into the gorge.

April

It is the end of the rainy season, but catchment areas upstream in the Zambezi continue to nourish the Victoria Falls. The waterfall reaches its highest flow with an average of 500 million liters of water crashing over every minute. The highest ever recorded was 700 million liters in 1958.

May

Autumn settles in, casting golden hues onto the trees. While the leaves slowly fall, Zambezi continues a strong and steady flow despite the advent of the dry season.

 

June

As autumn gives way to a crisp winter, the water levels begin to drop exposing the grass cover, creating great game viewing opportunities.

 

July

In the absence of rain, the Mopane leaves take on their distinct winter hue of burnt orange. The waterfall still boasts an impressive flow of water, and due to the diminished water sources in the bush, game viewing is excellent as wildlife begin to congregate around the river and larger water sources. The bush may be dry but the Victoria Falls still creates rain on these cloudless days.

August

A chill creeps into the night, but the days remain warm. Gradually, the rock face emerges as the water trickles to a gentle ebb on the Eastern Cataract on the Zambian side of the waterfall. However, Main Falls maintains an impressive curtain of falling water, and as the mist dies down, photo opportunities within the rainforest are exceptional. As the seasons shift, more elephant migrate to the islands, which are the feeding ground in the drier months.

 

September

The temperatures start to climb and the days get hotter, but white water rafting is excellent this time of year due to the low water levels, so you can escape the heat and spend the day racing through the gorge on a white water adventure.

 

October

This is the hottest month of the year as we build up to the rainy season. Occasionally, the sky cracks open with in a torrential African thunderstorm bringing some relief to the landscape in a short, dramatic burst. The Eastern Cataract is usually dry this time of year, but the view of the Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side is as beautiful as ever.

 

November

The water levels are their lowest this time of the year, and while the thunderous roar of the waterfall has been tamed, the natural wonder still inspires a sense of awe and incredulity.

Victoria Falls in November

 

December

The rainy season is approaching, and storm clouds loom ominously over Victoria Falls. The cloud cover brings some respite from the hot and humid days, and the waterfall begins to rise rapidly with rains from catchment areas. By now the Eastern cataract will no longer be exposed and there is a sense of anticipation and excitement as the promise of rainfall rumbles overhead.

Victoria Falls in December

The Last Straw

The world is facing a plastic problem, and it is snowballing- but so is awareness and determination to halt the crisis in its tracks. Wild Horizons has several strategies in place, and all of these have seen massive success.

Only a few years ago plastic bottled water was thought to be an inescapable essential on safari. Then, the world seemed to draw a collective breath as images of sea horses carrying earbuds emerged. A plastic bag was found thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface in the world’s deepest trench. Birds were seen nesting in shreds of shopping bags.

As heartbreaking as it is to think and see these images, our planet and our wildlife need us to realise the extent of the damage that is caused by these fickle, yet indestructible products.

 

Searching for solutions 

Our mission began when we joined the ”straw war”, banning the use of plastic straws at all of our lodges and on our activities. The next step was to address the use of plastic bottles. We installed water purification systems at each lodge and provided every guest a reusable water bottle that they could refill with fresh filtered water. We stopped serving plastic bottled water during meal times and instead we provide purified glass bottle of water. The initiative has been a massive success, and we are proud to report a 100% decline in plastic water bottle consumption in all three lodges, with not one plastic bottle of water being provided.

 

Nine million reasons to join the war on plastic

Victoria Falls has an average of almost 605, 000 international visitors every year. If each visitor stays an average of 4 days and consumes 2liters of bottled water per day, over 9 million plastic bottles will be discarded annually. Recycling programs in Africa are severely limited, and one plastic bottle can infest the earth for 450 years before the elements can decompose it. The enormity of the problem can not be ignored.

We need to change the way we think about plastic. When we ”throw it away”, where is it going? When plastic is buried, it does not nourish the earth. It leaches toxins into the soil, poisoning or ensnaring wildlife. The purpose of a safari is to appreciate the earth’s natural beauty, a pleasure and a privilege that we will go great lengths to protect.

Five tips to limit plastic waste on safari 

Most plastic products take centuries to decompose, which means almost every piece of plastic ever produced is still in existence… much of it in oceans or landfills. The small changes you make now could create a big difference for future generations.

  • Say no to bottled water, and refill a reusable one.
  • If you are concerned about water quality when you explore off the beaten track areas, take a Life Straw or Steripen with you to filter out harmful bacteria. Alternatively, do some research and purchase a water bottle that has a built-in filtration device.
  • When you go souvenir or grocery shopping at local markets, take an eco-friendly cotton bag with you. These are light and very easy to pack.
  • Many people who go into rural areas are tempted to give the local children sweets, but the wrappers from these are extremely harmful to the environment. Instead, take a box of fruit with you.
  • Avoid travel-sized toiletries and plastic-packaged toiletries when you pack. Instead buy a bar of shampoo, conditioner and soap with a steel tin to store it in.

If you have bought some new gear for your trip, remove any plastic packaging it may be wrapped in and send it to a nearby recycling station. Don’t bring it to the bush.