For the first time since 2019, Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) was able to hold their annual Community Sports Day – Rubatano – at Kabwadu School. ‘Rubatano’, meaning ‘unity’ in the local language Goba, brings together local netball and football teams to battle it out on the pitch. Their event aims to promote relationships between local community members, the DNPW and conservationists, along with lodges and other stakeholders. ‘Rubatano’ has become bigger and better each year!
Twenty football teams and fifteen netball teams all competed in fierce matches, with the hopes of making it to the finals. There were over 350 participants, with the top four football and netball teams each winning prizes. The best players, referees, top scorers and conservation club students also received prizes.
Around 500 people were given lunch on the day as well as bananas and drinks. And, Circus Zambia was brought in, giving amazing performances, entertaining all the children (and adults) in the community!
CLZ’s community sports day brought together over 1,000 spectators from the surrounding communities. 420 T-shirts were given out which displayed this year’s conservation message: ‘Save Zambezi, Safe Zambezi‘. During the event, the Conservation Club students helped out by picking up litter and recycling bottles.
Bringing back Rubatano in 2022 is a great achievment and CLZ thanked all their sponsors, for whom they were extremely grateful! All funds that CLZ raised for Rubatano is put back into the event.
For more up to date news about CLZ’s activities then check out their Facebook Page
If you are a hiking or camping enthusiast, then you have probably heard of Mwaba Mwila Adventures. This Zambian owned adventure tourism company helps young people explore the Zambian bush through guided hiking and camping expeditions.
I recently had a chat with its founder, Mwaba Mwila, who is passionate about domestic tourism and using it to provide opportunities for people living in rural parts of the country. Although Mwaba Mwila Adventures is just over two years old, it’s actually been ten years in the works. Mwaba spent seven years honing his outdoor survival skills before finally setting up the adventure company.
The 32-year-old adventurer attributes his love for outdoor life to a discovery he made about himself early in life. At a young age he realized he wasn’t very academic but was rather drawn to non-formal education. He also strongly believed people who are not academically inclined could explore skills and make a living out of their other talents. For him, this meant exploring new places, creating experiences, and sharing those experiences with others.
Mwaba, credits his hiking, rock climbing and canoeing skills to the time he spent as a Trainee Outdoor Instructor at Ndubaluba Outdoor Center in Mukushi. He began his career teaching life and outdoor survival skills to young people in school and youth camps in rural parts of Zambia. He explains that this experience stirred a keen interest in getting more young Zambians to explore the country. In his personal life and in business, Mwaba advocates for domestic tourism and believes that enhancing domestic travel will increase its contribution to the tourism sector. He points out that an increase in local travel can help keep the industry afloat when there is a decline in international tourist arrivals, as was the case when borders were shut due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Between 2020 and 2021, when the pandemic was at its peak, Zambia was among African countries that saw a massive boom in domestic tourism. Locals increasingly visited national parks and other tourist destinations to help people working in the tourism sector keep their jobs. Travel statistics from 2021 show an increase in domestic tourism of around 58.7 percent, with an estimated 235,392 Zambians visiting tourism sites, compared to 148,373 recorded the year before.
However, Mwaba believes domestic tourism should be our priority, even without disasters like Covid-19. He explains that this is why Mwaba Mwila Adventures primarily targets young Zambians. Their model is convenient for working professionals who need to be in the office during the week. “The idea behind our mobile camp activities is that people can leave on Saturday, go for a hike, get back home on Sunday and then Monday they’re back at work.”
Responding to a query on a view held by some people; that tourism is expensive and targeted at foreigners, Mwaba says people think tourism is expensive because we haven’t defined tourism correctly. “People think tourism is staying in a five star hotel in Livingstone for two weeks. If that’s the case, then it’s going to be expensive”, he explains.
He stresses that we need to identify other ways of exploring Zambia. Hiking and camping are cheaper than traditional tourism and make tourism available to more young people. “For us, going to hiking camps in the middle of a remote bush is obviously going to be cheaper than staying in a five star establishment and going for a game drive.” He discloses that his expeditions are usually low budget activities, with some all-inclusive day trip packages costing as low as K600, which is very reasonable.
Away from his enthusiasm about domestic tourism’s potential to transform Zambia’s tourism industry, Mwaba is also deeply passionate about providing opportunities for people living in rural parts of Zambia. He explains that giving back to local communities is a big part of Mwaba Mwila Adventure’s business philosophy. “Our business model is based on cooperation with local communities because they are the owners and custodians of the natural resources like the mountains we climb, the rivers we cross, and the campsites we sleep in. So, our engagement with them must be mutually beneficial”, explains Mwaba.
To ensure local communities benefit from his trips, Mwaba travels with a lean team of employees. He then outsources the rest of the labour required during camping activities from people within the communities they camp in. “Most of the time when I organize camping trips, I could easily come in with a team of more than 20 people and do everything and therefore nothing is left in that community” says Mwila. “But as operators, we need to ensure that a good amount of our revenue remains in local communities, so when you come on a hike with us, you will find that the guides are from the local villages, the places we camp in belong to one of the locals, so we pay a camping fee to the community.”
The explorer, who takes young people on guided expeditions to iconic but lesser-known destinations like Mount Mumpu in Mukushi and Kundalila falls in Serenje, challenges young Zambians to explore these and other destinations in the country. For people in Lusaka, Mwaba says they should visit the Lusaka national park, which he reckons few people know about.
It is a nature reserve with notable features extending from the Zambezi escarpment to the mighty Zambezi River, and islands that complement its waters. The Lower Zambezi National Park lies on the north bank of the Zambezi River in southeastern Zambia. It is world-renowned for attracting numerous wildlife species that captive both locals and tourists alike.
Unfortunately, like many other places in Zambia, the wildlife in the Lower Zambezi is threatened by human activity, the most notable of which is poaching for illegal bushmeat. According to “People Not Poaching”, an online learning platform, the current motivation to poach bushmeat in the area is commercial and driven by demand from consumers in cities such as Lusaka. Poachers use unsustainable killing methods such as wire snares to trap and kill wild animals. This has resulted in a population decline in and around the national park.
The park is surrounded by three Game Management Areas (GMAs): Chiawa, Lower Luano, and Rufunsa. These GMAs and many others across the country were established by the Zambian government to act as buffers between national parks and human settlements where humans and wildlife coexist and share resources. GMAs are managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) with assistance from Community Resources Boards (CRBs) which represent local communities and their interests. There is a total of 36 GMAs covering about 40 percent of Zambia’s land area. Due to economic developments, employment, and business opportunities, these areas have seen an increase in the human population over the years. An estimated 30,000 have migrated to the GMAs around the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Elephant on the Zambezi River in Lower Zambezi National Park
An increase in human activity outside the park unfortunately tends to lead to an increase in human activity inside the park. Not all the people who have migrated to the area have been able to find jobs and an income. Furthermore, the allure of seemingly amazing profits from the illegal trafficking of wildlife products is sometimes too much to resist for some, no matter how steep the legal penalties are if caught. This and a combination of other factors have led to increased poaching in the park to satisfy the demand from illegal bushmeat consumers in urban areas. The demand is driven by a mistaken belief that illegal bushmeat is safe to consume.
To help address the illegal bushmeat trade problem in the Lower Zambezi, Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ), a non-profit making organization working in partnership with DNPW to achieve its mandate of combating the illegal wildlife trade and stopping the trade in illegal bushmeat, among its enforcement projects, established an Environmental Education Programme that has been running for close to 20 years within the three GMAs surrounding the park.
One of the biggest challenges Zambia faces is education. Particularly, educating the millions of learners in the country about the value of wildlife and how it can be conserved. CLZ has tackled this challenge head by creating the Nzou education programme. A conservation school club initiative that brings learners together in an informal setting. The program encourages and engages school-going children through school visits to the CLZ base camp and visits to the national park. To make sure learners have access to accurate information and learning materials, every year the matrons and patrons of these conservation clubs are invited to attend a teacher’s training workshop.
This year, CLZ partnered with Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP) to focus on highlighting the dangers of the illegal bushmeat trade during the teacher training workshop. WCP is working in partnership with DNPW to curb the illegal wildlife trade in Zambia. In 2017, WCP launched “This Is Not A Game”, a behaviour change campaign communicating the dangers of illegal bushmeat to consumers. In partnership with CLZ, this year WCP successfully trained 32 teachers who oversee conservation clubs in communities living around the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Presentation of Certificates to the teachers
The training was designed to empower the teachers of Nzovu Conservation Clubs with knowledge of the illegal bushmeat trade in Zambia and the devasting impacts it has. The bushmeat trade can be attributed to the continued loss of key wildlife species such as the Kafue Lechwe which is endemic to Zambia. Consuming illegal bushmeat is also linked to the spread of zoonotic diseases such as Anthrax from wildlife to humans.
I spoke to Martin Mulela, a conservation club patron at Margaret Mwachiyeya Secondary School in Chongwe, Rufunsa GMA. Martin has been managing the club for over five years and had this to say about the training; “This training has broadened my knowledge about conserving our natural environment, the wildlife found in it, and the effects of the illegal bushmeat trade.” He added, “I will pass this information I have acquired to my learners, with focus placed on the danger of being jailed, contracting diseases, as effects of consuming illegally sourced bushmeat”.
Environmental programs such as Nzou are not a new thing in Zambia. The Wildlife Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia has been running the Chongololo and Chipembele conservation clubs in most schools within Zambia for over 50 years. Learners take an informal learning approach to learn about wildlife and conservation-related topics and depict what they have learned through role-playing. In recent years these clubs have faced many funding challenges and are not as active as they used to be.
Mirriam Nasilele from Wildlife Crime Prevention presenting to the teachers
It goes without saying that the children are the future. So, the question is, how are we willing to invest in our future?
While legal game meat outlets are starting to pop up around the country, especially in Lusaka. Many people who may be interested in joining the industry still have unanswered questions. Information on the matter can often be limited. Then there is the misconception that indigenous Zambians cannot succeed in this industry. This is despite the fact that a number of indigenous Zambians have successfully set up their legal game meat retail businesses.
In a recent conversation two indigenous Zambians, who run legal game meat outlets in Livingstone and Lusaka respectively, shared their experiences and opinions on the industry and why it is so important for wildlife conservation efforts in Zambia.
Like any other business, the legal game meat retail business has many challenges and opportunities. One challenge that came up repeatedly in our conversations was the need to establish a healthy and sustainable relationship with your meat supplier, in this case, a game farmer. This can take time and as the industry is still in its infancy and thus trust is yet to be established fully. Chilekwa Mukonge, a Lusaka trader and new player in the industry emphasized that persistence is key to setting up.
Another challenge is the duration of the trading permit application process which can vary depending on a range of factors such as the process of ensuring that the applicant has complied with all the necessary requirements. Samson Kandala, who has run a game meat business in Livingstone for about two years now, waited for a slightly longer period for his permit as compared to Ms Mukonge whose permit took only took three months. Pursuing success in this business clearly requires one to be driven. It is not enough to only want to set up the business, but one needs to have a passion for what the legal game meat business does for wildlife.
Samson Kandala said, “the hardest part of the process was obtaining a recommendation from a game farmer”. For people in cities, this can be a challenge because most game farmers are located on the outskirts of town, but fortunately you can visit www.wpazambia.com for lists of game farmers in Zambia.
“I simply had to write a letter expressing what I was requesting” said Ms Mukonge who initially started with an online research and found little information on how to set up a legal retail game meat outlet. She wrote a letter that she personally delivered to the headquarters of the Department of National parks and wildlife in Chilanga. Similarly, Mr Kandala also wrote to the Livingstone office and the letter was sent to the Headquarters in Lusaka. Feedback for both retailers from the Department was that an inspection was going to be conducted to ensure the premises of the outlets were up to standard, water, and electricity availability among other things. A report was written and after two weeks they were contacted to collect their permits to trade.
Despite the challenges, the legal game meat retail business presents many opportunities. Apart from job creation and the pioneering work involved, Chilekwa Mukonge, owner of Urban Hunters said that it is a more sustainable way of consuming wildlife meat as compared to the illegal bushmeat trade. Samson Kandala, owner of Pasawi General Trading in Livingstone also mentioned that the business has the potential to reduce illegal bushmeat consumption which in turn would help stabilize wildlife populations in our national parks.
Clearly anyone can venture into legal game meat retailing. It is important to be patient and persistent in any business to get what you want. To get the ball rolling, all that must be done is drafting a letter to the Department of National Parks And Wildlife expressing interest. The risks posed by the illegal bushmeat trade to Zambia’s wildlife cannot be ignored as it is the biggest threat to our wildlife. If you would like to contribute to the legal game meat industry, support the legal game meat retailers. The more legal game meat we buy the more the demand grows. This can mean growth for the legal game meat industry and reduced illegal bushmeat trade.
Game farming, the raising wildlife on private or community land, is a sustainable way of sourcing game meat because farmed animals increase overtime and can be cropped. Game meat sourced in this way is also safer for human consumption as the meat is only made available to licensed outlets after both the animal and its carcass have been inspected and ensured fit for consumption. Compared to the illegal bushmeat trade that involves indiscriminate poaching of wildlife in national parks and game management areas, game farming/ranching is certainly a viable alternative. Another drawback with the illegal bushmeat industry comes from the fact that poachers often process their illegal kill in unhygienic conditions, posing a serious threat to public health. Unlicensed bushmeat is sold to members of the public who may not be sure if what they are consuming is healthy or safe. It further decreases the potential growth of tourism and the legal game-farming industry.
Meet KeeKee, a brave female ground pangolin that was born in captivity, sadly rejected by her stressed mother when she was captured by poachers, adopted by humans, survived despite everything, and is now getting ready to be released back to the wild!
In October last year, officers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife rescued a female pangolin from illegal traffickers in Sioma, Western Zambia.
What they didn’t know at the time was that the pangolin was actually pregnant and was to deliver in a few days. The new mother and her pup were sent to a facility that rehabilitates pangolins rescued from the illegal wildlife trade before releasing them into the wild.
At the facility, the team that works with the pangolins noticed that the mother didn’t seem to be too attached to her new pup. She didn’t breastfeed the pup enough and often tried to get away from her. The team believes the birth may have been prematurely stress-induced. It is commonly known that pangolins are very sensitive and don’t do well in captivity. The nightmare of being removed from their habitats by poachers who often rough-handle them and even deliberately injure them puts pangolins in a panic state.
When pangolins are stressed, they lose weight, their immunity weakens, and their health deteriorates. For pregnant pangolins, this can induce an early birth.
The team explained that in her stressed state, the new mother chose survival over her maternal duties and considered the pup an unnecessary burden that would make it harder for her to survive. When the team noticed the baby was becoming weak, they decided to release the mother in one of the national parks as she was in good health.
With the mother safely in the wild, the team now needed to do everything they could to save the weak pup. This was against common knowledge, which says that pangolin pups are almost impossible to keep alive in captivity. They decided to bottle-feed the pup, giving her six to seven feedings a day.
The next four weeks would be the team’s biggest test. If the pup didn’t gain enough weight or if she picked up other health complications, her chance of survival would be next to zero. This wouldn’t be surprising as pangolins born in captivity only have a 50-60 percent chance of survival. Without her mother to provide support and comfort, this pup’s odds were already slim. Fortunately, and to the relief of the team, KeeKee gradually gained weight and got stronger. By the time she was two months old, she had grown in size and had put on enough weight to get her out of the “danger zone.”
She is now four months old and in good health, weighing around 2.2 kilos. The team is now introducing her to eating ants and termites, her natural diet. In the wild, adult pangolins feed almost exclusively on insects. They can eat a staggering 23,000 insects a day (around 70 million a year), making them an important natural pest control.
The team explained that it is also important for her to start eating ants because they are rich in calcium, which she needs for her scales to grow strong. Pangolins are covered in tough scales, from head to tail. Some people wrongly believe the scales have medicinal benefits, so they poach pangolins to the point where they are considered the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world. The two pangolin species that occur in Zambia; the Ground pangolin, which is terrestrial and the Tree pangolin, which spends a lot of time up in the trees, are both under extreme pressure from illegal trafficking, with decreasing populations.
Contrary to the wrong beliefs, pangolin scales don’t have any medicinal value, they are made of keratin, the same protein our hair and fingernails are made from.
The team plans to set KeeKee free in one of the national parks once they are satisfied that she is no longer dependent on humans and that she can survive in the wild on her own.
Alarming numbers of pangolins are being poached from Zambian forests due to the black market demand for their scales and other body parts. Through collaborations with its local partners, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife is able to rescue some of these mammals from the illegal wildlife trade. And since 2018, the Department has been rehabilitating rescued pangolins to give them the best chance of survival once released into the wild. To date, more than 180 pangolins have been rehabilitated and put back in their natural habitats.
