Supporting Human-Wildlife Coexistence in Zambia

Living Alongside Elephants: A Legacy of Conservation

DSWF is proud to have been a founding partner of Game Rangers International (GRI) in Zambia. David Shepherd CBE, our founder, had a lifelong love affair with the elephants of Zambia – partly contributing to him informally becoming known as ‘the man who loved giants’. We are incredibly proud to still have an integral role in safeguarding the future of a species David was so strongly associated with.

Supporting Orphaned Elephants in Kafue National Park

One of the DSWF funded and supported programmes run by GRI focuses on securing the release area for rescued and rehabilitated orphaned elephants in Kafue National Park (KNP) – Zambia’s oldest and largest, known as the lungs of Africa with good reason. An ongoing focus of our support has always been on the Special Anti-Poaching Units based in KNP. Yet, it has been our support through Human Wildlife Coexistence Rangers where our impact has been most felt.

Responding to Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Although we respond to hundreds of human-wildlife conflict incidents each year, adverse weather like droughts exacerbates the competition for territory and resources. As animals with significant intelligence, we can make an educated guess that the single elephant that chose to raid crops at the height of the drought did not do so lightly. It would have known the threat humans represented. For the subsistence farmer, the threat was equally tangible. Both would have felt there was little choice in what action they should take. Tragically, the elephant paid with its life.

A Reduction in Retaliatory Killings

The only consolation we can take from this event is the otherwise drastic reduction in retaliatory killings we’ve seen in the past year. In fact, to date, this tragic incident remains the only one recorded.

This is directly attributed to the presence of the Coexistence Rangers and the compassion, empathy, and support they show communities. Proactive measures, such as the provision of over 4,000 wildlife-friendly deterrent devices (firecrackers and chilli bombs) have proved to them their livelihoods matter and are part of the equation in the work we support.

Rescued Elephants: Bupe, Kasungu, and Lumezi

The direct impact of human-wildlife conflict is driven home with every new orphaned elephant rescued by our field partners. Last year three young orphans — Bupe, Kasungu, and Lumezi — were brought into the care of our field partners, beginning their long journey toward recovery and, hopefully, reintegration to the wild.

Combating Poaching: Seizing Illegal Firearms

On the anti-poaching front, significant strides have been made, with numerous illegal firearms being confiscated, helping to reduce the threat to Zambia’s wildlife and protect vulnerable species like the elephant.

Educating the Next Generation of Conservationists

We’re also changing the hearts and minds of the next generation from the earliest possible point. Discovery days held at the DSWF funded Wildlife Discovery Centre have introduced 1,389 children from 56 local schools to the orphan elephants in their care and other wildlife they live alongside, making them future advocates for human-wildlife coexistence. These visits have been facilitated mostly through the provision of the DSWF- funded Discovery Bus.