By GETHSEMANE MWIZABI-
SIXTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD British explorer and elephant welfare activist David Lemon has arrived back in the country to resume his ambitious trek from Siavonga into Mozambique up to the Indian Ocean.
Mr Lemon arrived at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola around 12:30hours on Monday afternoon for the Zambezi Cowbell Trek, which he abandoned two years ago.
After two years of resting, Mr Lemon, who declared to walk the entire length of the Zambezi, resumes the second leg of his epic Zambezi Cowbell Trek on April 19, from Siavonga where he left off.
He would be joined by members of the public for the first 36 kilometres to raise money for a Lilayi-based elephant orphanage
Mr Lemon is expected to walk more than 1000kilometres, to add to the more than 1800kilometres he walked two years ago from the Ikeleng’i in North-Western Province, the source of the Zambezi River.
Mr Lemon, who arrived aboard an AirLink flight, was in high spirits for the 2014 Zambezi Cowbell Trek, saying he was geared-up and ready to go.
“I am very ready for the trek. I want to finish the expedition before my 70th birthday,” he said.
The Briton, who is referred to as the modern day David Livingstone, now weighs 88kilogrammes which is a few kilogrammes lighter than the 90 kilogrammes he weighed when he began his journey.
Mr Lemon, who was welcomed by scores of people, said he had sorted out his visa requirements with Mozambique authority, where the Zambezi River passes through up to the ocean.
“Tonight, I am going to give a talk at the Ndola Boating Club about the second phase of my journey,” he said
Meanwhile, the sponsor of the walk, Promasidor Zambia Ltd managing director Andy Taylor said his company was proud to support the explorer’s efforts to wildlife conservation, especially elephants.
“We are a nutrition company which is the producer of Cowbell which is part of Mr Lemon diet,” he said.
He said his company would assist the explorer so that he completes his walk of the Zambezi from the river’s source to Chinde were it pours into the ocean,
