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The Island Safari Team

News update on recent developments in the elephant back safari industry,from Wild Horizons.

Hi All,

I want to write an update on the developments in the elephant back safaris industry, from Wild Horizons.

Because of recent negative press, surrounding the Domesticated Elephant
Industry in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the number of questions they received regarding this case, the managers and owners of Wild Horizons, felt that it was neccessary to comment on thier curent position in the elephant back safaris industry.

Wild Horizons, seen as the lead in Elephant Back Safari's, has a mission statement, which describes their policies and principles of honour within the industry.Many elephants of the Wild Horizons herd came to Wild Horizons as a result of tone down exercises carried out in the 1980's, by the Zimbabwe National Parks Department. The leftover elephants were sold to zoo's and circuses around the world, but these remaining few stayed on African soil. AT first they were not moved and lived on farms.This lifestyle was soon ended as, Wild Horizons,to improve the way these elephants were living, turned into a magnificent safari experience.

They couldn't be released into the wild as they were raised by humans and the wild would be a thread to their existence.Wild Horizons mission statement, states that the elephants' lifestyle must be as habitual as possible, whilst offering guests a unique opportunity of interacting with and learning from these elephants. They believe that they have created an environment as habitual as they can and the fact that they've had four calves born to thier females, fathered by wild elephants, prove all of this.

The profitable aspect of Elephant Back Safaris has generated a long debate on the principles surrounding the industry, but the poeple at Wild Horizons have a clear way of doing things and thier standards of training and the breeding and caring of the elephants, which protects the elephants in thier charge. Their policies describing the aquiring of elephants for their operations, are clearly laid out in the working code of their mission statement, are public and open to any inquiry, and definitely exclude the capturing of elephants from herds in the wild.

It has been thier policy to work together with Zimbabwe's Wildlife Authority in assisting with genuine orphans and injured elephants and their track record for doing this, is clearly documented.

It is daunting that an industry which has the opportunity to exel so much in terms of educating the public, at the same time providing safe refuge to suffering elephants from pain or carelessness, has been brought into such dishonour.

I hope you all have clarity now on this issue.