New information released on Monday from officials at the national park states that the Australian tourist who went missing near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe last week had already been missing for almost a week.
A 67-year-old visitor, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reported as missing on Friday in the vicinity of the national park, Victoria Falls, in Zimbabwe. Officials stated that a search, involving dogs trained to sniff out missing persons, was in progress at the time.
According to Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, a male tourist has been reported missing since February 17.
On February 17th, the tourist, who was on a solo trip, was staying at a high-end lodge around 3 kilometers away from the rainforest park. According to Farawo, the tourist notified the lodge management that he was planning to venture into the park.
According to Farawo, the man was not observed on CCTV footage entering the park, and he was not included in the list of individuals known to have entered the area, which is usually done for ensuring safety and accountability.
Farawo reported that they reviewed the CCTV footage and checked the physical records at the falls entrance, but there was no evidence of the individual entering. Search efforts in the rainforest have also been conducted, but there has been no indication of his presence.
He stated that we are exploring other possibilities since it appears that he did not actually enter the rainforest.
Farawo declined to provide any additional information, stating that investigations were ongoing.
Rarely do we see such events in Victoria Falls, a popular tourist spot that draws in numerous visitors from all over the world. The main attraction is the stunning waterfall, where the Zambezi River cascades over 108 meters into a gorge, creating a mist that can be seen from miles away.
On Friday, Farawo stated that the parks agency sent a group consisting of police, rangers, sniffer dogs, ground trackers, and drones to locate the missing Australian tourist.
Several incidents have been documented in different parks. In October, a German tourist who had been reported missing in Matusadona National Park in northern Zimbabwe, where there are many wild animals, was discovered alive and in good condition after three days.
Source: theguardian.com
