Zimbabwean to trek entire stretch of River ZambeziBy MICHAEL CHAWE in Lusaka | Thursday, April 26  2012 at  16:01

A Zimbabwean based in the UK has announced his plan to walk the stretch of the Zambezi River from its source to the delta in Mozambique to protest the "near extinction of elephants in the Lower Zambezi by poachers."

Local media reported that the walking adventure, named Zambezi Cowbell Trek 2012, starts from Mwinilunga in North Western Province of Zambia to Mozambique and will take approximately 10 months to complete.

Mr David Lemon, 67, told local media he intends to walk the entire length of the Zambezi River starting at the source in Mwinilunga to the village of Chinde in Mozambique.

“I know the conditions well and I know how to survive in that sort of countryside. Despite my age, I have the experience and knowledge to get me through such a walk,” Mr Lemon was quoted as saying by the state newspaper The Zambia Daily Mail Tuesday.

It reported that Mr Lemon said he is doing the walk for himself to fulfill his inner challenge and to highlight the fact that elephants in the Lower Zambezi are in danger of being wiped out by poachers.

Fourth longest in Africa

“I intend to highlight the problem and try to put my finger on just what can be done to save these wonderful animals from extinction.”Mr Lemon, who arrived in Zambia on Saturday, is expected to cover approximately 2,000 kilometres before reaching Mozambique.

Zambia’s minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Given Lubinda said Government has welcomed Mr Lemon’s walk of the length of the Zambezi River as it is one way of helping to boost the country’s tourism potential.

According to documented history, Mr Lemon will be the first man to ever walk the length of the Zambezi River, local media reported.
After the adventure, Mr Lemon, also a author who has already written other books about his experiences among them Hobo, Two Wheels and a Tokoloshe and Blood Sweat and Lions, is expected to publish a book.

The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa.

The 3,540-kilometre-long river (2,200 mi) has its source in Zambia and flows through Angola, along the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia again, and Zimbabwe, to Mozambique, where it empties into the Indian Ocean.