Panthera Zambia

Wild Cat Species

— Lion

— Leopard

— Cheetah

— African Wildcat

— Serval

— Caracal

Priority Landscapes

— Greater Kafue Ecosystem

— Sioma Ngwezi National Park 

Our primary “catscape” in Zambia forms part of Panthera's “supersite” spanning across the massive 520,000 km² Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA). Here, our activities and interventions are strategically integrated to amplify conservation outcomes across protected area boundaries and regional and country borders. Within Zambia, Panthera project sites are focused in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE), which is comprised of Kafue National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas, the Kwando Wildlife Dispersal Area (which includes Sioma Ngwezi National Park in the southwestern corner of Zambia) and extends onwards to the Luengue-Luiana Intensive Protection Zone in Luengue-Luiana National Park in the southeast of Angola. All of Panthera’s programs in Zambia are in support of and in strong partnership with the Statutory Authority Department of National Parks and Wildlife Zambia (DNPW) and respective communities. 
 
Our work focuses on protecting source populations, minimizing mortalities at the human-wildlife interface and restoring and protecting connectivity between wild cat populations. We currently support 17 anti-poaching teams, two dedicated lion monitoring and protected teams and one leopard monitoring team across Kafue National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas. These teams operate within four intensive protection zones and from four dedicated anti-poaching protection and support bases. We use SMART and Earth Ranger technology for adaptive management and conducting wildlife monitoring across the whole system to ensure our adaptive management activities are impactful and evidence-based. Our “Halo Approach” delivers focal protection for key individuals and groups to boost survival and recruitment during times of challenge. This includes two lion monitoring and protection teams.
 
Integrating with our Intensive Protection Zone and Halo Approach, Panthera’s Counter Wildlife Crime Program in Zambia provides technical expertise and mentoring related to site security, countering wildlife trafficking, crime analytics and demand reduction to proactively protect wild cats. Key activities include:

• Training and mentoring patrol teams;
• Analysis of wildlife crime data to strengthen and guide collaborative wildlife protection efforts;
• Strengthening legal support to improve conviction rates in partnership with the Wildlife Crime Prevention;
• Program and adoption of a problem-oriented approach to wildlife protection (POWP); and
• In partnership with the Barotese Royal Establishment, our Saving Spots program reduces demand for leopard skins by providing authentic faux fur options for ceremonial events.

Hand in hand with supporting law enforcement activities, we are working to cement protection for wild cats outside protected areas and foster connectivity between wildlife populations by facilitating human-wildlife coexistence in connectivity pathways between the Greater Kafue Ecosystem and onwards to the rest of KAZA. Across these areas, we partner with DNPW and communities to strengthen and diversify livelihoods, reduce human-wildlife conflict, unlock the value of living wildlife through wildlife credits and build a strong sustainable wildlife economy. Central to our activities is establishing community-led governance models and human-wildlife coexistence from the Greater Kafue Ecosystem across Sioma National Park and KAZA and supporting a team of community conservation officers. All efforts are strengthened by environmental education and underpinned by focal monitoring and protection of wild cats for and by communities.

Partners

• Wildlife Crime Prevention
• Department of National Parks and Wildlife
• The Barotse Royal Establishment

Contact

Panthera Zambia
Hook Bridge Camp
Mumbwa Game Management Area
Eastern Entrance to Kafue National Park 
Central Province
Zambia

Dr. Jake Overton
joverton@panthera.org