How the Lozi Community Helps Protect Zambia's Wild Cats

Join Project Coordinator Maswabi Lishandu as he journeys through the Zambezi floodplain to meet important members of the Barotse Royal Establishment in Zambia, who we work with as part of our Saving Spots initiative, producing synthetic furs as a substitute for traditional festival regalia. Read about what makes this project in our Furs For Life program as important as it is. 

We journeyed by boat for kilometers — five to be exact. Crossing the Zambezi floodplain is no easy feat. But our trip was an important one. We were on a trip to meet with important members of the Lozi community — a people whose culture is intricately tied to the lives of the wild cats who inhabit the area surrounding the Zambezi. We were going to help protect wild cats. 

My colleagues Gareth Whittington-Jones, Kristine Maciejewski and Jeffrey Dunnink arrived in Zambia to join me on a mission to meet four important members of the Lozi people in Zambia’s Barotseland — the Ngambela (Prime Minister of Barotseland), Queen of the North, Queen of the South and the Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta of the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE).  Our purpose was to discuss our Saving Spots and Furs for Life initiatives with these important figures ahead of the Kuomboka Festival on April 9. During this festival, members of the Lozi community traditionally wear furs made of the coats of three regional cats — leopards, servals and lions. Our Saving Spots initiative, in partnership with the Lozi and with support from Peace Parks Foundation, Cartier and the Royal Commission for AlUla works to produce “Heritage Furs” — synthetic cat furs for Lozi community members to use as a substitute for the real thing. 

The Kuomboka Festival is critically important to the Lozi. "Kuomboka” directly translates to “getting out of water”. The Lozi move between the floodplains and the higher banks each season with the rain. The traditional practice comes from living with wildlife for centuries. The Lozi move with the wildlife with whom they share the floodplain. This deep connection to wildlife and nature is expressed through their traditions.  

Each year during this festival, His Majesty the King of the Lozi (known as the Litunga) moves between palaces due to seasonal rains, accompanied by much fanfare. The ceremony also allows the Queens of the South (Litunga Lya Mboela) and the North (Mboanjikana) to move between their palaces. This is only allowed during the festival — which has unfortunately not been able to take place since 2018 due to poor rains and COVID-19. 

As aforementioned, during this festival, members of the community traditionally wear wild cat fur. This custom is changing, however, and the Lozi themselves are the drivers of our conservation initiatives in the region. They take an active hand in working to implement the usage of Heritage Furs, as opposed to real leopard, serval and lion furs. Without the leadership of members of this community, Panthera would be unable to carry out this initiative. It is an important partnership to preserve not only wildlife, but also Lozi culture. 

One can imagine our excitement and gusto, then, as we met with important members of this community. With the Ngambela, we discussed the BRE’s preparations for this year’s Kuomboka Festival, as well as the Lozi community’s general excitement to use the synthetic furs. After this successful meeting, he gave us his blessing to visit the Queens of the North and South. We had a very productive meeting with the Queen of the North at her Royal Palace, where we built a storeroom to safely house the Heritage Furs when not in use, and showed her synthetic bird feather samples as a substitute for traditional head pieces the Lozi wear. Our meeting with the Queen of the South was equally fruitful. We saw the storeroom currently being built at the palace for our Heritage Furs, and the Queen’s kuta (traditional council) thanked Panthera for helping to protect her community’s culture, even with recent wild cat population declines. After this, we rounded off the trip with an audience with the Senior Chief. 

Perhaps this is the most important insight into what makes our travels and the Furs for Life and Saving Spots initiatives so important. Protecting and saving wild cats means respecting and preserving the culture of the peoples who live alongside these magnificent animals. To protect leopards, lions and servals, one has to respect the Lozi who live amongst them. So, long walks, bumpy roads and tiring boat rides aside — we know our journey had to be completed. To protect wild cats, we have to complete our commitment to the Lozi.