GWERU City Council has commended efforts by Antelope Park to utilise part of the land it leases from the local authority in expanding its tourism facilities, saying the move has potential to boost investment in the city.
Antelope Park, which is considered a premium domestic and international tourist destination, not only in the Midlands capital, but the country as a whole, boasts several wild animals, state-of-the-art accommodation and recreational facilities.
Last week, Gweru councillors toured the park to get an appreciation of one of the tourism giants in the Midlands capital.
In an interview with Southern Eye, mayor Martin Chivhoko applauded the park for the tourism expansion drive, which he said was a positive development for tourism growth in the city.
“We (council) have had a running lease with Antelope Park for years where it carries out game park activities,” Chivhoko said.
“We commend the park for its plans to utilise part of the land to accommodate the big five animals.
“This will put the city on the map and lure investors both locally and abroad as they seek business opportunities in the Midlands capital.”
Antelope Park has announced plans to use the portion known as Mimosa Creek to expand tourism activities to cater for the big five animals, including the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo, where they will be kept in a natural habitat.
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Currently, the game park has 43 lions that are kept in enclosures with the “walk with lions in the park” being popular activity among tourists.
Speaking during last week’s tour, the park’s operations manager Itai Nyarai said they had several other animals species at the tourism facility.
“We have giraffes, zebras, elephants, impalas and wildebeest at the park,” she said.
Nyarai said the park also had four white rhinos, including a baby rhino, adding that they intended to increase the population of the extinct species through breeding in a conducive and natural habitat.
The tourism facility also offers boating and outdoor sport games, among other recreational activities.
