Victoria Falls World Heritage Site

Mosi- Oa- Tunya

The former blue sky has turned into brown haze that lies over the Falls. The former thunder that impressed Livingstone from far away is now turned into a constant noise deriving from dozens of helicopters blades cutting the air together with blaring light aircrafts that hover from sunrise until sunset over the Falls. It makes communication difficult and tedious to enjoy the scenery and surrounding beauty. Animals are hiding and only reappear after sunset, birds are not visible during the day. Nature is in agony. The airstrip is in proximity to Vic Falls Nature Park. The aircrafts take the chance to fly very closely above the animals scaring them off and making it impossible for visitors to appreciate the game drive. Threatened rhinos which are very noise sensitive have moved to other areas. Outdoor activities in the park and walks at the Falls are no longer enjoyable. Spending holidays at an airport becomes more relaxing.

Aren’t Natural Wonders there so that everybody can enjoy the natural beauty? The intention to declare Natural Wonders should not to commercialise them to get the best buy out.

This goes hand in hand with a deteriorating environment. Former river walks in the middle of a national park are not maintained and are littered with single use plastic items. No wonder that plastic is found in the stomach of elephants and antelopes which are dying of ingesting it.

Why do the Vic Falls National Parks do not reinvest the funds they receive from the visitors to clean up the littered walking paths, do the necessary repairs and maintenance to upscale the experience of the tourists visiting the Falls? There is a constant grey haze over the Falls as well as over Zambia and Botswana. The countries need to clean up their air as this has detrimental effects on the health of the population. The helicopter flights must be limited to two hours per day without invading the nature park and intimidating the wildlife. Better to ban them at all. Let us reconnect to nature to enjoy the Falls in all its splendour and beauty.