I represent concerned animal welfare organisations as well as residents of Kleinmond and the greater Overstrand area, supported on a social media page, opposing your proposed venture at Lamloch Safari Park.
We have watched with alarming interest your intentions to establish what you called with signs on the Lamloch premises a wildlife sanctuary. We have watched as you have initiated an environmental impact assessment process, which Doug Jeffery Environmental Consultants has confirmed is on hold. We have noted the latest Satsa (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association) guidelines published last year, and are aware of the three human/elephant interaction ventures you own in Plettenberg Bay, Hartebeespoortdam and Hazyview.
Perusing all your social media outlets, Tripadvisor, various newspaper articles, comments from people in Kleinmond and surrounds as well as snippets from your websites, it is clear you share with visitors to your ventures and the people in Kleinmond with whom you interact that the elephants in your possession are rescued.
Some, you say, are physically impaired. It seems also you say or have said these elephants cannot be returned to the wild or will soon be (said at various times) moved to larger areas or “retired”.
These different stories are confusing. We note further that you refer to these elephants as family, for they have spent up to 20 years with you.
For the people of our region as well as those you hope to entice to visit this proposed venture at Lamloch we request you tell us all, publicly, the history of all your elephants.
Don’t tell it in a restaurant or bar, or at a private gathering, but publicly.
You profess to being available and open about all your activities concerning elephants. We request you use this opportunity to state publicly and share the history and names of your elephants, once and for all.
You need not share what you paid nor what the costs of keeping them are. These are decisions you have made by and for yourself.
