1.
LV Salt Lick game lodge.
0.06

2.
SCU Sign of new lodges.
0.10

3.
SV Mr. Shako walks forward to cut ribbon.
0.16

4.
CU & ZOOM OUT Flags flying (Kenyan and Hilton Hotel).
0.21

5.
SV Mr. Shako cuts ribbon.
0.29

6.
SV Audience applaud.
0.32

7.
SV Mr. Shako and Leo Roethe and officials walk around Salt Lick lodge. (3 shots)
1.07

8.
SV ZOOM OUT TO LV Salt Lick lodge.
1.14

9.
SV PAN Across Taita Hills lodge.
1.28

10.
SV ZOOM INTO CU Shako cutting ribbon.
1.38

11.
SV ZOOM INTO CU Audience.
1.41

12.
CU Cameraman
1.46

13.
LV Official party around Taita Hills lodge.
1.50

14.
SCU Sign "Beware Elephant".
1.52

15.
CU Elephant eating.
1.58

16.
SV Elephant turns and runs away PAN to another elephant.
2.10

17.
SV Wildlife
2.14

18.
LV Ostrich and Zebra running through bush. (2 shots)
2.21

19.
LV Elephants
2.26



Initials RW/VS 0.14 RW/VS 23.51



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Two new game lodges in Kenya -- Taita Hills and Salt Lick -- were officially opened on Saturday (24 March) by Mr. J.L.M. Shako, Kenya's Minister for Tourism and Wildlife.

Located six miles apart, the two lodges are situated in southern Kenya, adjacent to Tsavo, one of East Africa's best-known national parks.

The construction of the resorts was financed by Hilton International at a cost of over two and a half million dollars (GBP 1,500,000 sterling). It represents the largest single of foreign investment in Kenya.

Taita Hills is the headquarters, or "base" lodge, with 62 rooms. It has a mini bus service to its sister lodge, Salt Lick, where as its name implies, visitors can see animals lick the salt surrounding a nearby waterhole.

SYNOPSIS: Government officials, and representatives of Hilton International, the owners of the lodges, were among those attending the ceremony.

The guest of honour at the opening ceremony was Kenya's Minister for Tourism and Wildlife, Mr. J.L.M. Shako.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mr. Shako was escorted around Salt Lick lodge. Salt Lick is designed exclusively for game viewing. As its name implies, animals....from elephants to gazelles....come to a nearby waterhole, either to drink or lick the slat which surrounds it. Because of the abundance of game, children under fourteen are not admitted to the lodge. As a further safety-measures, Salt Lick is built on pillars, talking the visitors out of danger in a stampede.

Six miles away from Salt Lick is the Taita Hills game lodge. Taita Hills is larger and has more amenities than its sister lodge. The two lodges are connected by a mini bus service.

Taita Hills was officially opened on the same day as Salt Lick, and also by Mr. Shako. The cost of building the two lodges was over two and a half million U.S. dollars, the largest single foreign investment in Kenya.

The luxury two-storey lodge has sixty-two rooms and is also built on still construction.

Signs abound in the grounds of the two Hilton lodges, because of its proximity to Tsavo West.

Tsavo West is one of Kenya's best known Wildlife parks. Guests at Taita Hills lodge can take either a full or half-day excursion of the park to see a wide variety of wildlife.

This wild, uninhabited park is over eight thousand square miles in area. Its large variety of wildlife includes elephants, ostriches, and zebras. With the Nairobi Hilton, Hilton International now owns three hotels in Kenya.