New conservation partnership strengthens wildlife protection in Zambia

(Zambia, 3 April 2024) In a significant boost for conservation in Zambia, two leading organisations have joined forces to improve animal and habitat protection in a critical wildlife stronghold, in the Southern African country. 

IFAW and Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) have partnered to support conservation initiatives in the Lower Zambezi National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas (GMAs).  

The 4,092-kilometre square Lower Zambezi NP and GMAs form part of the massive 20,000-kilometre square Lower Zambezi Area Management Unit adjacent to the protected areas of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, on Zambia’s southern border. 

Until 1983, when the area was declared a national park, t was the private game reserve of Zambia's president. This meant the park was protected from mass tourism and now remains one of Africa's few untouched wilderness areas. On the opposite bank is Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park. The two parks sit on the Zambezi floodplain ringed by mountains. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to Cape Buffalo, with a large elephant population, lions, leopards, many antelope species, crocodiles, and hippopotamus. 

The partnership is expected to strengthen conservation and management in the Lower Zambezi National Park and the Rufunsa and Chiawa GMAs, focusing on wildlife and habitat protection, biodiversity conservation, combatting wildlife crime, wildlife rescue and research. 

“This partnership between CLZ and IFAW brings together two leading conservation partners and is a big step forward for IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative to secure wildlife habitats and promote biodiversity,” IFAW Country Director for Zambia, Patricio Ndadzela said, 

"Wildlife crime/poaching has been a problem in this area, and while significant strides have been made to combat it, there is much work to be done. This partnership will strengthen the work already being done to ensure animals such as elephants have the room to safely roam and thrive. By supporting ranger welfare projects, preventing wildlife crime, and helping communities, this partnership will help people and animals thrive alongside each other.” 

CLZ’s chief executive officer, Ian Stevenson, remarks, “Conservation Lower Zambezi is proud to be partnering with IFAW and feels the working relationship will strengthen support to DNPW and enhance the protection of the area. With CLZ’s long history in the area, IFAW experience, and global reach, we are confident the partnership will benefit the Lower Zambezi people, wildlife, and Zambia’s protected areas.”  

This partnership is part of IFAW’s visionary Room to Roam initiative, which includes humans as a part of the solution for sustainable conservation and uses elephants as flagships to promote a landscape approach to conservation.  

Backed by more than 20 years of scientific research, Room to Roam promotes biodiversity and builds a natural resilience to climate change. At its crux is securing and connecting habitats, creating safe passages for wildlife to travel freely between their home ranges in East and Southern Africa. 

END 

Hightail link to photos and captions

Press Contacts: 

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)  
Luckmore Safuli: +263772527736; lsafuli@ifaw.org  
Christina Pretorius: +27 (0)82 330 2558; cpretorius@ifaw.org 

Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) 
Frances Hannah: +260774691719; frances@conservationlowerzambezi.org

About IFAW 

IFAW is a global non-profit that helps animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations, and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org 

About CLZ 

CLZ is committed to protecting wildlife and the sustainable use of natural resources in Lower Zambezi, Zambia. Established in 1994, CLZ is centred around three main pillars of support: Wildlife Protection, Environmental Education, and Community Empowerment-actively working towards a vision of a valued, protected and thriving Lower Zambezi landscape. The organization works in collaboration with Zambia’s wildlife authority, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and local communities to ensure the sustainability of wildlife in the Lower Zambezi Valley and its ecosystems.