SOUTH AFRICA: Simbavati Does Not Support Trophy Hunting And Statement From Lodges Of Timbavati

STATEMENT FROM THE COMMERCIAL LODGES OF THE TIMBAVATI

This statement is a response to the recent article by Mr. Don Pinnock, published by The Daily Maverick on the 8th of March 2017. Pinnock’s article triggered a debate on social media and as the commercial game lodges within the Timbavati Reserve, we want to set the record straight on some issues higlighted by the article. We specifically want to outline and reaffirm our contribution to the protection of the wildlife and ecosystems within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

Regarding the article:

1. Statements made in the article about hunting, especially of a so-called ‘super tusker’ elephant, are a misrepresentation of the facts. This is very disappointing, considering that the Timbavati shared information with Mr. Pinnock before he published the article. Mr. Pinnock was also invited to visit the Timbavati to see its conservation policies in action, but chose not to respond.

2. The hunting numbers that are referred to in the article are for quotas within the Associated Private Nature Reserves - APNR – an area which is over 200,000 hectares. The Timbavati is only one of 4 reserves in the APNR and comprises 53,000 hectares of this greater area. The quotas for the Timbavati are far lower than those quoted in the article.

3. The reference to the possibility of a leopard being hunted in the Timbavati is incorrect. The Timbavati management confirmed – as they did in correspondence with Mr. Pinnock - that no leopard hunts will take place whilst a nation-wide moratorium is in place.

4. The reference in the article to the potential hunt of a “Super Tusker” and “Iconic Tusker” is also factually incorrect. Timbavati management has confirmed that nobody will be hunting a “Super Tusker”, nor any “Iconic Tusker”, nor any named or collared animals.

Facts about the commercial lodges in the Timbavati:

1. The commercial game lodges which operate within the Timbavati are independent businesses, which have their operations located in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Whilst all of the commercial game lodges operate within the rules and regulations set down in the constitution of the reserve, their operations are entirely independent of the Timbavati reserve management. The commercial game lodges are not responsible for the management of the reserve, nor are they able to make decisions on how to fund the conservation efforts within the reserve.

2. Commercial game lodges which operates within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve are not involved with trophy hunting in any way. The commercial game lodges offer photographic safaris and we do everything in our power to be sensitive to the animals and plants which we have the privilege of sharing the wilderness with. As a result of this, and the excellent management of the Timbavati reserve, game viewing is of a very high quality.

3. No guests of any of the commercial game lodges have had their safari experience negatively impacted by hunting that is undertaken by the reserve management, and none of the safari activities take place within any hunting areas.

4. It is important to note, that there are only 19 commercial game lodges operating within the Timbavati reserve, whilst there are a total of 47 landowners. Commercial lodges do not get involved with reserve management decisions - those decisions are left to expert managers and scientists. In addition, many of the commercial lodges within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve are tenants in the reserve, in much the same way as the game lodges that operate as concessions within the Kruger National Park itself.

Facts about the Timbavati revenue streams:

1. The commercial lodges also recognize that, as with the Kruger National Park, the Timbavati reserve management needs to raise revenue to manage the conservation efforts of the reserve. Furthermore due to wildlife crime (such as rhino poaching), the reserve faces sky-rocketing increases in its security costs - up by over 800% in the past 5 years alone. However, unlike the Kruger National Park, the Timbavati reserve management does not receive any government or other funding for such efforts. At the same time, without any contributions from government, the Timbavati serves as a security buffer to the Kruger National Park.

2. The commercial game lodges within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve are responsible for attracting paying guests to the Reserve, and in raising income through conservation levies. This forms part of the much needed revenue for the Timbavati to protect rhino, and to survive as a protected area. Through the conservation levies, the commercial operations currently contribute 17% of the total Timbavati income budget, which is significant, but in no way comes close to funding the full conservation effort of the reserve.

3. The commercial lodges also provide significant benefits to the reserve and surrounding areas in terms of protection of wildlife and by creating livelihoods for members of local communities. The commercial lodges in the Timbavati employ around 300 people from surrounding communities, and with an average dependent’s ratio of about 1:10, we are financially supporting around 3000 people, thus achieving a direct financial injection of over R20 million annually into those communities. Skills transfer and training is also an added benefit that cannot be overlooked.

4. We believe that it is important to understand that any negative impact on public support of the commercial lodges in the Timbavati would adversely affect the substantial support that the commercial lodges do give to the Timbavati Reserve; added revenue to support conservation and anti-poaching, as well as vital support to the local communities and their families. Less tourism in an area opens the door wider to more hunting, or in the worst case, results in more poaching. This is the time that the travel industry should be galvanizing their support and sending more clients who bring valuable contributions through their conservation levies.

5. Together, the commercial lodges of the Timbavati are continuously driving to change the revenue streams which are available to the reserve. To make this possible we need the support and commitment from our trusted trade partners and guests. The commercial lodges are fully committed to making a significant improvement to the conservation contribution from photographic tourism, so taking pressure off other revenue streams and working towards a future where the reserve has a stable and sustainable income foundation.



Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

SOUTH AFRICA: Umlani Bushcamp Against Trophy Hunting

South Africa and the Timbavati have recently seen a heated debate over possible trophy hunting in the Timbavati following an article by Don Pinnock.

Both the reserve and the lodge owners have now issued statements as they feel the article was unfair, lacked context and is potentially damaging to the great conservation work and tourism activity that takes place in the area.

Timbavati Statement on recent Don Pinnock Article

The Timbavati management is aware of the article produced by Don Pinnock of Conservation Action Trust.

We are disappointed that the presentation of this story is not in line with the facts and information that were openly provided to the Conservation Action Trust.

We have offered to host Mr Pinnock at the Timbavati to show him what we do and why our strategy has been so successful to date, an offer which he ignored.

We are distressed that Mr Pinnock seems confused about our explanation that the lodges within the Timbavati play no role in the management of the reserve and in many cases are independently owned tenants of the reserve.

The heading of his article and the vague wording have led to unfortunate social media debate and aggression towards the lodges within the reserve, which we feel is unfair, and we call on all tourists and travel trade members to exercise caution and discretion when interpreting Mr Pinnock’s article.

We would like to make reference to two glaring factual inaccuracies in Mr Pinnock’s article:

The reference in the article to the potential hunt of a “Super Tusker” and “Iconic Tusker” is factually incorrect. It was confirmed to the author when answering his questions that nobody will be hunting a “Super Tusker”, nor any “Iconic Tusker”, nor any named or collared animals.

The reference to the possibility of a leopard being hunted in the Timbavati is also incorrect. It was confirmed in correspondence with Mr. Pinnock that no leopard hunts will take place whilst a nation-wide moratorium is in place.

In addition, the numbers and statistics presented in the article are not pertinent to the Timbavati, and do not represent the figures offered by Timbavati to Mr Pinnock. Our understanding is that his figures relate to an area almost 4 times the size of the Timbavati, including 3 other Private Nature Reserves.

We are proudly regarded as one of Africa’s conservation success stories by both local and international authorities, with our wildlife population numbers increasing continuously, and particularly elephant population numbers, which have increased by over 400% in the last 20 years.

We are extremely proud that our hardworking team has managed to curtail rhino poaching in the face of a rising wildlife crime pandemic. We have had no poaching incidents on Timbavati in the last 18 months.

In addition to this, we enjoy a truly productive, co-operative relationship with all of our neighbouring reserves, a relationship which we value highly.

Statement from Marco Schiess, Umlani Bushcamp

I personally (Umlani) have been opposed to the hunting to generate income for the reserves conservation efforts. Unfortunately Timbavati is a democratically run and the anti-hunting lobby is smaller than the pro-hunting lobby.

I have been opposed to hunting for many years and have always worked at reducing the reliance on hunting income for the reserves conservation efforts .

The conservation levy that tourists pay covers only a small portion of the budget.

The pro-hunting lobby think that tourism has more impact on the wilderness than hunting and so they support hunting as a means to generate income to run the conservation efforts.

All the lodges oppose the hunting naturally but we are the ones who get punished for something we do not support and the hunting lobby wins all the way.

It is a matter of time before the hunting is over and Timbavati will need to find other ways of generating income for conservation efforts.

The Don Pinnock article misrepresented some facts, the numbers quoted in the article are for the entire APNR like Timbavati , Klaserie , Umbabate , Balule agreed to by Kruger National Park.

The campaign has been directed specifically at Timbavati lodges? All other lodges in Klaserie , Balule etc are also in the same boat as us.

There has been selective hunting and tourism in Timbavati for years, it’s still the same place nothing has changed other than orchestrated media campaign organised by “Conservation Action Trust” whose trustees seem to have a vested interest in destroying the non-hunting photographic tourism lodges in Timbavati .



Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

SOUTH AFRICA: Tourists Against Trophy Hunting Want Ban On Trophy Hunting Outside Kruger National Park

Tourists Against Trophy Hunting, a recently formed coalition of tourists opposed to hunting has written to the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) appealing to them for an outright ban on hunting in the area.

The membership of just over 200 includes conservationists, ecologists, writers, photographers, advocates, activists, tourists and travel agents and travel bloggers from countries including Germany, UK, Canada, the US, Brazil and South Africa.

The open letter is reproduced, verbatim, below.

Appeal to APNR from Tourists: Please BAN trophy hunting outside Kruger National Park

In a keynote address to the World Travel and Tourist Summit, John Scanlon recently said the assets that underpin wildlife-based tourism are under severe threat. These threats include habitat loss, pollution, infrastructure, climate change, over exploitation and illegal trade.

We must tackle these threats if wildlife is to survive, if wildlife-based tourism is to survive, if your own business is to survive.

Kruger National Park is one of the largest protected parks in the world, and one of the most visited in South Africa. But many who visit are unaware that private game reserves with open fences to the boundaries of the protected park regularly request and receive permits to trophy hunt.

Or that hunters refer to the Kruger as "the factory." The Timbavati Game Reserve has called this ongoing controversy an "emotive" issue. Others have called it a loophole that must be closed.

We the undersigned are an international coalition of tourists who view wildlife as sentient beings rather than resources to be utilized.

We call upon the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) of Timbavati, Klaerie, Balule and Umbabat to support a total ban on trophy hunting within the area.

SANParks is entrusted with the protection of wildlife, most recently by the Protected Areas Act of 2004. But since 1993, when park officials agreed to remove the boundary fences, animals have moved freely between the areas.

This would be a good thing if hunters were not waiting on the other side. Tourists are told hunting is prohibited in Kruger. But as wildlife status changes from publicly "owned" to res nullius, instantly they become fair game.

Shockingly, park employees also sit on management committees of these reserves, and help to decide the hunting quotas. Are the abundant APNR waterholes where tourists view animals drawing animals over? Is this any different than luring a lion with bait out of a "protected" park?

The recent Timbavati Reserve hunting quota application received much worldwide media attention due to the inclusion of a "trophy" bull. But it also included 33 other elephants, and more than 5 000 animals including endangered species in the four APNR reserves.

Throughout this latest controversy, SANParks and all government officials have been evasive about what was approved. As of a week ago, four elephants had been killed, along with one rhino. We can presume many more from the list have by now been "harvested".

Any call for a tourist boycott at this time would be counterproductive. But more travel agents are choosing not to book in the area unless it is to Sabi Sands, where a hunt ban is in place. It is unacceptable for tourists to share space with trophy hunters, knowing an animal admired, enjoyed, and photographed one day can be shot the next, to become a wall mount or a floor rug.

Trophy hunting is undergoing widespread public scrutiny. People are aware through international headlines that many species are critically declining in numbers. Polls show a majority of tourists are deterred by knowledge of trophy hunting in areas they visit.

If in any doubt of that, look on Trip Advisor at the responses last month to the Timbavati permit request. We include just three of many:

"Should we start a petition on Avaaz? Many international residents would avoid Timbavati if they knew the reserve allowed some hunting areas where endangered animals are hunted."

"I honestly think that people in the wider community, particularly outside of South Africa, haven't a clue that this is happening. I suspect it would not be viewed favourably, I suspect that people....who book with non-hunting lodges in these neighbouring reserves would be appalled that hunting is taking place on the same reserve."

"That is shocking! I will not encourage people to visit it {Timbavati} anymore."

It is time to recognise the hunting industry claims of support for conservation and local communities are not evidence-based. Wildlife watching tourism, as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO) reports, has a return of 80% of the total tourism revenue in Africa.

Trophy hunting not only fails to provide a significant benefit for the overall revenue of range states, but threatens ecotourism revenues. It is an unnecessary additive to other pressures, further depleting populations as the "best and the biggest" are killed.

Ethics-based approaches to wildlife conservation are available. The public majority are not hunters, who do not "use," but rather respect and appreciate wildlife, and who have deep concerns about continued survival of iconic species. They are now demanding responses proportionate to their majority status.

As a local SA travel agent has said, her clients will happily pay a conservation fee to support survival of the animals they come to visit.

We therefore ask you, the owners of the APNR lodges and stewards of the lands, to join our effort to protect the wildlife of Kruger National Park wherever they roam. Please support our call for trophy free tourism.

Sincerely,

Tourists Against Trophy Hunting