After months of hard work, CLZ along with the Maunda Women’s Group in the Chiawa GMA, officially opened their Huku Project in August. The opening was graced by HRH Chieftainess Chiyaba, the Village Headman, DNPW Warden and the CLZ Team.
Funding from Stop Poaching Now and The Frog Crossing Foundation, enabled a two room coop to be built, housing 300 chicks. When fully grown, these chicks will be sold with the proceeds being put back into small business enterprises.
Hippo Fence
In August, a hippo and elephant fence was constructed in the Chiawa GMA. The fence was the result of the local community highlighting the damage that hippos and elephants were causing to their vegetable gardens along the edges of the river. It consists of a double line of electrical tape that is fitted at two heights from the ground.
The fence is currently under trial, with community members and CLZ monitoring its effectiveness in deterring hungry wildlife. If successful, it will help control human-wildlife conflict, by protecting the agricultural livelihoods of community members. CLZ thanked IWTCF for funding the project.
2019 was a tremendous year for CLZ with accomplishments in wildlife protection, environmental education and community empowerment. CLZ also celebrated its 25th Anniversary and looked back at a quarter century of wildlife protection efforts in the Lower Zambezi. Join us as we celebrate the past, present and future of CLZ!
Did you catch Benson Kanyembo, from CSL, being interviewed on Sky News this morning?
Benson was promoting the Tusk Trust’s Wildlife Ranger Challenge which takes place this Sunday. Over 50 ranger teams across the African Continent are taking part in this global collaborative fundraising initiative to support the men and women who work to protect our natural resources. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic many non-profit organisations are now facing financial difficulties, with some not being able to pay basic wages or buy necessary ration packs for their wildlife patrols.
This is also having a knock on effect on the families they support, along with tourism industry staff, many of whom have been made redundant due to the lack of international tourists. This means they no longer have salaries for even the basic essentials, and so poaching is rising, making the Ranger’s jobs more difficult.
In a bid to help, the Tusk Trust is raising funds by asking Rangers across Africa to come together and help raise money to support their fellow Rangers in other countries. The Challenge aims to raise money to help thousands of their colleagues, enabling them to support themselves, their local communities and to help them to protect Africa’s biodiverse, but vulnerable, wildlife species.
The challenge is open for everyone around the world to join in. You can find out how by checking out their website – www.tusktrust.org
Benson and his fellow scouts will be taking part on Sunday at South Luangwa National Park. They will be running 21kms, in their full uniforms whilst carrying a 22kg pack. What Benson didn’t mention is that his team are running in our hot October temperatures – so for them it certainly won’t be a walk in the park!
After extensive testing, the Ministry of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana, have now concluded that their elephants may have ingested toxins produced by bacteria found in waterholes.
Hundreds of elephants died earlier this year in Botswana from ingesting toxins produced by cyanobacteria, according to Government Officials. They said they will be testing waterholes for algal blooms next rainy season to reduce the risk of this happening again.
The mysterious death of 330 elephants in and around the Seronga region between May and June baffled conservationists and samples were taken and sent to laboratories around the world.
“Our latest tests have detected cyanobacterial neurotoxins to be the cause of deaths. These are bacteria found in water,” said Principal Veterinary Office, Mr Mmadi Reuben at a recent news conference. “However, we have many questions still to be answered such as why the elephants only and why that area only. We have a number of hypotheses we are investigating.”
Local sources suggest 70% of the elephants died near water holes containing algal blooms. These can produce toxic microscopic organisms called cyanobacteria. This was initially ruled out because no other wildlife had died – although one horse had died. Scientists now think that elephants could be particularly susceptible because they spend a lot of time bathing and drinking large quantities of water.
Mr Reuben explained that their investigations had looked into how mortality affected the elephant population and injuries on carcasses, along with testing water samples at laboratories in Botswana, South Africa and the US. The cause was found to be a “combination of neurotoxins”.
Reuters
In August, 22 elephant carcasses were found between Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It is of concern that these could be linked to the elephant deaths across the border in Botswana. Zimbabwe authorities currently think their elephant deaths were caused by a bacterial infection. Samples have been sent to the UK for testing.
What are Cyanobacteria Toxins?
Cyanobacteria is also known as blue-green algae. It is found worldwide, especially in calm, nutrient-rich waters
Some species produce toxins that affect animals and humans
People and animals may be exposed to cyanobacterial toxins by drinking or bathing in contaminated water
Symptoms of Cyanobateria poisoning include skin irritation, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, fever, sore throat and headaches
It can be controlled by reducing the nutrient build-up (eutrophication) in lakes and reservoirs, especially by better management of wastewater disposal systems and control of pollution by fertilisers, including manure, from agriculture
You can find more information on Cyanobacteria Toxins on the WHO website
We have started a conservation career revolution right here in Africa and we’d like you to join us!
To all our friends in conservation – help us raise awareness about the Virtual Conservation Careers Fair 2020 which is being held online between 5 and 8 October 2020 and get young Zambians excited about the diverse jobs available to them. We would like you to join our social media movement.
How to Join
Take a picture of yourself (and your team if you like) in your work environment with the sign
“This is what a Conservationist looks like”
and send it to us at information@cczambia.com. We will be posting your photos on our social media pages and sharing your experiences as we count down to this year’s unmissable Conservation Careers Fair. Get social with us on our Facebook Page
It’s about time we showed the world how diverse and inclusive our conservation world is.
Tomorrow is the annual Elephant Charge event which challenges teams of cars and motorbikes to compete in a gruelling 4×4 course through the Zambian bush. The Charge is held every year to raise money for conservation and wildlife education in Zambia, focusing on conservation through education. To date The Charge has raised over $1,031,000 which has been distributed to 20 conservation organisations around the country.
This year 26 teams have entered. You can find out about each team on The Charge’s website where you can also make a donation or sponsor your favourite teams.
The exact location of the Elephant Charge is a carefully guarded secret and is only made available a few days before the event. You can find out where it is being held by checking out The Charge’s Facebook Page.
Spectators are very welcome, so why not show your support by going along and cheering on your favourite team?
