Animal interaction programs, which enable travelers to participate in activities like petting wild lion cubs or riding elephants, have once again been put in the spotlight in both South Africa and Botswana.
The newly appointed South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, spoke out against such activities during a recent webinar organized by Tourism Update.
He explained he was looking at ways to work more closely with sustainable partners to eradicate these kind of interactions. He said: "Our marketing efforts promote an authentic and credible tourism experience to all our tourists, and this includes an authentic wildlife experience to keep it as "wild" and natural as possible."
Botswana has taken a firm stance against animal interactions and enacted a ban on elephant rides heading into 2017.
Abu Camp, a popular facility that offered elephant-back safaris, has supported the Botswana ban. "Following an extensive review of its program and in compliance with recent government directives, as of Dec. 31, Abu Camp will no longer allow guests to ride elephants," it said in a press release.
The camp will continue to focus its program on respectful, less intrusive forms of elephant interaction and education, including its immersive walking-based experience.
"Our Abu elephant program focuses on the full elephant conservation experience, offering guests and families the unique opportunity to spend time with the Abu Herd, walking with them through the bush, observing them up close in the wild and getting to know their individual characters, whilst most importantly learning more about the importance of elephant conservation from local guides and researchers," stated Kim Nixon, Wilderness Safaris Botswana managing director.