Two lion cubs have been sighted in Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia, significantly marking the first birth of lion cubs in the park for well over 10 years. They were born three to four weeks ago to the protégé of the park’s famous lioness known as Lady Liuwa.

It is believed that this is the lioness’s second set of cubs and that she probably lost her first set due to inexperience. The father of the cubs is the park’s only male lion. The lioness has hidden her new cubs in thick bush, making it difficult to photograph them.

For more than nine years Lady Liuwa was a solitary, lonely lioness roaming the grassy plains of the park in search of fellow felines with whom to mate and hunt, the sole survivor after massive poaching and illegal trophy hunting wiped out the species in the park in the 1990s. The extraordinary story of how she turned to humans for companionship and how the conservation team at Liuwa Plain National Park helped to find her a family became one of the most moving wildlife films of all time to screen on National Geographic TV in 2010. Lady Liuwa has a dedicated Facebook and other social media profiles and has also featured prominently in the international media.

Lady Liuwa’s protégé, the mother of the two newly born cubs, was one of two young females introduced from Kafue National Park in 2011. Her sister was killed by a snare in 2012 and she, probably traumatised by this event, ran away towards Angola. In a dramatic rescue mission she was darted, airlifted back to the park, and placed in a fenced boma. African Parks then took the decision to place Lady Liuwa in the boma to encourage the two lionesses to bond. After two months the two lionesses were released back into the wilds and have since been inseparable.

Two male lions, which were introduced to Liuwa from Kafue in 2009, also headed towards Angola in mid-2012 and one was reportedly shot dead by villagers in Angola.  His companion, who made it safely back to Liuwa is now the resident male in the pride and father of the two new cubs.

“We are overjoyed to have sighted the cubs and will closely monitor the new offspring to minimise threats to them,” said Liuwa Park Manager, Raquel Filgueiras. “The birth of the cubs will help safeguard the future of lions in Liuwa and strengthen the park’s tourism offering. It is an event in which all stakeholders including ZAWA, the BRE (Barotse Royal Establishment), the Liuwa communities and the park itself can be proud.”

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has raised the park entry fees by 33 per cent to $80 (Sh6,800) from $60 (Sh5,100) previously. This is the second time that the tariffs are being increased, as part of a two-phase plan first implemented in January 2011 where the rates were raised to $75 (Sh6,375) up from $60 (Sh5,100).

The new conservation fees were aimed at encouraging safari visitation during the low season in highly visited parks and reducing congestion during peak seasons to maintain the ecological integrity of wildlife zones.

In a press notice, KWS said the new prices would be applicable to Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Tsavo East and West, Meru/Kora and Mount Kenya National parks during the high season months of January to March, July to August and from September to October.

East African residents will continue to pay Sh1,000 for entry to premium parks, while non-East African citizens will pay Sh1,000 up from Sh500 as at December 31, 2011.

The wildlife manager has defended the 20 per cent increase in tariffs, citing the improvement of infrastructure—such as securing of wildlife migration corridors and dispersal areas, opening up of tourism investment in under-utilised parks and reserves and management of specific wildlife population.

It also cited the rising costs of staffing, maintenance, improving security and government policy implications.

The government policy that parks should be self-financing has put pressure on KWS to turn to ways of raising the revenue it needs to cover its costs, including raising park fees.

It earned Sh2.7 billion from park fees alone in 2010, which accounted for 96.4 per cent of its total Sh2.8 billion turnover for that period.

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has launched a 227km tourist trail, the Congo Nile trail, a new tourism product that is intended to boost the sector.

The trail bridges the western Rwanda corridor passing through five districts with Rubavu as the starting point all the way to Rusizi. A tourist on foot will take 10 days to complete the trail while one who chooses cycling will make it in 6 days while one driving will cover it in a day.

The hike includes many delights for a tourist, such as coffee and tea routes with twelve coffee washing stations, three tea factories and natural beaches along the shores of L. Kivu.

“Tourism is Rwanda’s number one foreign exchange earner so we must capitalize on this by diversifying and bringing more products on the market for tourists,” said Rica Rwigamba, RDB’s head of tourism and conservation.

RDB has in the past introduced new tourism products, including birding routes in Bugesera, Eastern Province and cultural products in Nyanza which you can check out during Rwanda safaris.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo said, 23 black and white rhinos had been killed this year in Zimbabwe national parks and conservancies.

However, 37 rhino poachers and illegal dealers in horns were arrested under an operation by the authority to protect the endangered species.

Ms Washaya-Moyo said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority endeavors to preserve the country’s wildlife heritage and has come up with a number of strategies to ensure protection of flagship species.

“This year, a total of 100 rhinos were immobilised for ear notching and horn implanting to facilitate individual identification and monitoring in the field and dehorned to create disinterest to poachers.” she said.

Rhinos remain a major target for poachers who sell their products in Asia and the Middle East where there is a lucrative market. The rhinos can be spotted during national park tours while on Zimbabwe safaris.

According to statistics from Rwanda Development Board (RDB), African tourists dominated visits to Rwanda in the first semester of 2011, a phenomenon that indicates the country’s increasing attractiveness to the region and the entire continent.

African tourists to Rwanda increased by 28 per cent to 340,379 compared to the same period last year with the figure representing 84 per cent of 405,042 visitors that the country received.

Rica Rwigamba, the Head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB said, “Emphasis is to increase the leisure market and position Rwanda as a major leisure destination. We have done a good job in branding Rwanda as a safe destination, so now we need to talk more about leisure.”

Majority of the African visitors were from East Africa, South Africa and the DR Congo.

RDB indicates that Akagera National Park and mountain gorillas were the dominant attractions in 2011, while the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest was the best selling product of all Rwanda safaris.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has increased game park entry fees to boost its conservation efforts and reduce its dependence on the government.

KWS, the custodian of Kenya game parks, has introduced charges that will see the fees increase to $80 (Sh7,520) from a minimum of $60 (Sh5,640) on premium parks with immediate effect.

The Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa also reviewed the fees structure by eliminating low and high season fees and introduced a flat rate charge in a bid to boost revenues.

Foreign visitors used to pay $60 (Sh5,640) during the low season at the premium parks (Amboseli and Lake Nakuru) and $75 (Sh7,050) during the peak seasons, which runs from January to March and July to October.

Dr Wekesa said the review is aimed at boosting KWS coffers to allow it meet its conservation obligations, arguing that the efforts are becoming expensive, causing the state-owned firm to run a huge deficit.

The increment will, however, only affect five top KWS parks, out of the 52 it manages and Kenyans will continue paying Sh500 at premium parks and Sh300 in others.

As of today,  120 Rhino’s have been poached in 75 days. That equates to 1.6 rhino per day. If South African does not take drastic measures to curtail the slaughter, it is guesstimated that by the end of 2012, the number will be in the region of 600.

What a tragedy

120 Rhinos poached in 75 days, thats 1.6 rhinos a day, at this rate the toll will be close to 600 by year end.