This afternoon’s Bats Without Borders Webinar is about the Human dimension on bat conservation. It will be hosted by Dr Tanja Straka, Professor Tigga Kingston, Dr Joanna Coleman and Dr Ewan Macdonald.
You can pre-register to join into the Zoom Webinars, or watch this and any of their previous Webinars, at www.batswithoutborders.com
Upcoming Bat Season at Kasanka National Park
Your best opportunity to see bats in the wild is during the upcoming Bat Season at Kasanka National Park. Every October millions of Straw-coloured fruit bats gather in a small patch of forest at Kasanka National Park, flying in from all over Sub-Saharan Africa. At dusk they leave the forest to fly out and forage only returning to their temporary roost at dawn. Their annual migration to Kasanka is thought to be the world’s largest mammal migration. You can find out more about these fascinating bats and how to see them by visiting the Kasanka Trust’s website – www.kasanka.com
The world’s largest mammal migration | DW Documentary
The Kasanka Trust was recently gifted several beautiful bat photographs by wildlife photographer Nick Garbutt. Nick is one of the world’s top photographers, author and is an accomplished illustrator. He travels the world for his art and regularly contributes articles and photographs to magazines, such as National Geographic, Terra Mater, Geographical, BBC Wildlife and Outdoor Photography. In 2000 Nick won the prestigious Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. He combines his passion with organising and leading an extensive programme of wildlife photography tours in partnership with Wildlife Worldwide, where all levels of photographers can benefit from his personal tuition and wildlife expertise. You can view his stunning bat photos at the Park’s Wasa Lodge and also on his website – www.nickgarbutt.photoshelter.com
Today, the 22nd September, is World Rhino Day – the day in which we celebrate all five species of rhino in both Asia and Africa – Javan, Sumatran, Black, White and Greater one-horned.
World Rhino Day was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010. The following year, it grew into an international success, encompassing both African and Asian rhino species. Today it is celebrated to help protect these amazing animals.
What is the theme for World Rhino Day?
Five Rhino Species Forever celebrates both African and Asian rhino species. In addition, World Rhino Day is an opportunity to highlight efforts to debunk the myths and diminish the demand for rhino horn.
What are the threats to rhinos?
Rhinos were once found throughout Eurasia and Africa, but today, three of the five rhino species are Critically Endangered, meaning they face a high chance of extinction. In recent years rhino numbers have dropped dramatically due to poaching for their horn which is prized in Asian countries. They also face threats from habitat loss and political conflict. Read more on the Save the Rhino Website
Do we have rhinos in Zambia?
Yes we do, but due to excessive hunting and poaching our rhinos became extinct during the 1990s. The rhinos that now live in Zambia were brought in from neighbouring countries.
Which species of rhino are found in Zambia?
Zambia is home to two species of rhino:
Black Rhino
White Rhino
Black rhino (Diceros bicornis) which are on the vulnerable list. In the 1960s our black rhino population was the third largest in Africa, but just two decades later our rhinos were hurtling towards extinction and by 1998 they were declared extinct. Today, they can only be found in North Luangwa National Park
White rhino (Ceratotherium simum) which are on the near threatened list. White rhino were also poached to extinction by the early 1990s. In 2008 the then Zambia Wildlife Authority successfully relocated four white rhinos from South Africa to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, creating a new population north of the Zambezi River. You can see them, and their descendants in the park today.
You can find out more about the differences between our two rhino species on ARC’s Website – www.arczambia.com
What you can do to help save these endangered species
The North Luangwa Conservation Programme works to protect the wildlife and habitats of the North Luangwa National Park and surrounding areas. It is home to the only population of black rhino in Zambia. You can find out more by visiting their website and Facebook Page.
And if you thought you knew everything about rhinos, then check out this amazing story from Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe
Since 2018, Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP) has hosted an annual Conservation Careers Fair aimed at creating a platform that brings together local conservation organisations, prominent Zambian training institutions and candidates. It hosts industry speakers and provides workshops to create a platform for students, candidates and employers to all connect.
This year, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the unmissable fair will be hosted virtually online. The fair will host eight speakers from the Zambian conservation industry, hold career master classes and there will be a virtual exhibition of conservation organisations in Zambia.
It will run from the 5th to the 8th of October, between 10hrs to 17hrs. You will have the chance to interact with accomplished conservationists working in Zambia from the comfort of your own home or office.
Previous Conservation Careers Fairs have hosted 25 speakers from both Zambia and abroad. They has attracted over 1,000 graduates and students and plausible media houses such as the Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC), The Daily Mail Newspaper and many others.
US based retailer, Sharingourbest, will soon bring ‘It’s Wild!’ products to the USA. Despite the many hurdles they have had to overcome, the long awaited launch of ‘It’s Wild!’ products to the USA is now only weeks away, with the first container of Zambian products being shipped soon. The owners of Sharingourbest, Doug and Kath White, will launch a marketing campaign to introduce COMACO’s cooperatives of small-scale farmers to cooperative-owned retail stores in America. They will give American consumers a rare treat of being able to buy and consume Zambia’s finest honey and peanut products, whilst adding value to conservation for the farmers here in Zambia.
COMACO is launching a village chicken breeding facility to assist with COVID-19 related unemployment and to also reduce the threat of poaching. The residents of Mnkhanya, Nsefu, Kakumbi, and Jumbe Chiefdoms, in the Mfuwe tourism area, will soon be benefiting from two village chicken breeding facilities. This initiative will assist people who have lost their jobs as a result of the downturn of the local tourism industry due to the worldwide pandemic. Over 600 breeding hens will produce thousands of 3-week old chicks that will be distributed for free to help recipients start their own flocks, both for sale and for home consumption. Cooperative leaders have undergone training to become ‘Trainers of Trainers’ to teach local recipients to learn about poultry husbandry. This initiative was made possible by a donation from Elephant Cooperation.
Countering Poaching with Skills Training
Seventeen years ago, COMACO began an initiative to tackle the problems of wildlife poaching in and around the Luangwa Valley by addressing the key issues – poverty and hunger. Instead of arresting poachers, COMACO gives them the opportunity to transform their lives by surrendering their wire snares and firearms in exchange for training in carpentry, masonry, beekeeping, and conservation agriculture, along with other alternative livelihood skills. Today they are proud to say that their efforts to reverse these problems have begun to pay off, with fewer poachers and a growing wildlife population. Another result is the first ‘Transformed Poacher Association’ for the Luangwa Valley. Its goal is to legitimise the 1,723 ex-poachers in the eyes of the government and the public with a body that voices their solutions for wildlife; lobbies for their positive role in wildlife conservation and nature-based markets; and, works toward a poacher-free future in Luangwa Valley.
A great way to find out more about working in conservation is by listening to podcasts from the people who actually work in the field. The ‘This Wild Life Conservation Podcast’ posts weekly interviews and discussions from leading conservationists who describe tales of their wild adventures and discuss the highs and lows of living and working in the wild. They also reveal a unique insight into the lives of the animals they work tirelessly to protect. By listening you can discover how to become a conservationist and gain valuable insight into current conservation issues.
This Wild Life Conservation interviews conservationists from around the world on a variety of current issues and topics. They recently featured Anna Tolan, founder of the Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust (CWET), in an episode titled – Giving children hope and wildlife a chance.
Anna, and her husband, set up the CWET in 1998 on the outskirts of South Luangwa National Park. Their mission is to teach Zambian children and the local communities the value of wildlife and to conserve it for present and future generations. Their success speaks for itself as many of their previous students have become conservation leaders both here in Zambia and abroad.
In her 35 minute interview she shares her stories about her everyday life in Mfuwe, the work that her Trust does and the wildlife she has rescued – including baby hippos!
You can listen to Anna’s podcast on This Wildlife Conservation Podcast and you can also follow and listen again to all the This Wild Life Conservation podcast episodes on their Facebook Page.
