ZCP’s efforts and Programme staff span across Zambia in critical ecosystems that include the Luangwa Valley, Liuwa Plains, Kafue and Bangweulu Wetlands.

SENIOR STAFF

Dr. Matthew Becker, CEO and Manager
Matt is a wildlife ecologist that joined the project in 2008 as the Programme Manager and CEO and oversees all research, conservation and capacity-building/education efforts in Luangwa, Liuwa, Bangewelu and Kafue.  He received a bachelor’s degree with majors in wildlife ecology, biological aspects of conservation, and entomology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed a Ph.D. from Montana State University (MSU), where he was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to research gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park. He is an Affiliate Research Faculty at the MSU Department of Ecology and has worked for over 18 years on a variety of wildlife field research and conservation projects in North America, Antarctica, and Africa, studying numerous endangered species.  Matt conducts and coordinates programme activities with the support and collaboration of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA). His fields of research interest and expertise include predator-prey dynamics, conservation biology, and behavioral ecology.  Matt is also an Honorary Wildlife Police Officer for ZAWA.

Jassiel M’soka, Project Manager, Liuwa

Jassiel is the Project Leader for ZCP’s Liuwa Carnivore Project, working in and around Liuwa Plain National Park.  Formerly the Wildlife Ecologist for the Zambia Wildlife Authority’s Lower Zambezi Area Management Unit Jassiel is seconded full-time from ZAWA in order to conduct the Liuwa work and pursue a graduate degree as part of the research.   He has extensive experience in a variety of wildlife research arenas and a degree from the University of Zambia.

Dr. Wigganson Matakindo, Senior Ecologist and Head of the Zambia Wildlife Authority’s Veterinary Division.  Fulbright Scholar Montana State University Bio coming soon!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Egil Droge, Senior Ecology Staff, Luangwa

Egil holds a Masters degree in Ecology, a Masters in GIS and has considerable experience working with international field projects including work with Durrell Wildlife on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, and fieldwork in Botswana working with African wildlife. He has extensive experience with mammal-trapping and radio telemetry. Returning to Holland Egil worked as a GIS consultant before his heart drew him back to Africa. After several seasons with ZCP he is now the senior member of the Ecology Staff in the Luangwa Valley.

.

Robin Lines, Project Manager Kafue

Robin Lines holds a MSc Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Canterbury in Kent (UK) and is managing ZCP’s Kafue Carnivore Project that assists ZAWA with research, monitoring and management of Zambia’s largest African wild dog and cheetah population.

From 2002-2010 Robin initiated and implemented a study of African wild dog conservation throughout Namibia, where he is still involved in National Management Planning for the species.

Previously Robin worked as a safari guide in South Africa before returning for a stint in the UK with Save the Rhino International as events manager raising funds for rhino conservation projects in southern and eastern Africa.

Robin’s interests include interdisciplinary approaches to conservation biology, human-wildlife conflict and community-based natural resource management. Robin is also a qualified pilot.

______

ECOLOGY and PROJECT STAFF

Luangwa Valley

Ashed Makukula

Ashed Makakula joined our staff in 2010 as our new Operations Manager.  Ashed has dedicated most of his life to wildlife research and conservation and  brings his wealth of experience to the ZCP team.

Ashed was born in Ndola in the Copperbelt and has lived and worked with wildlife in South Luangwa since 1980.  In 1979 he successfully completed his training as a Wildlife Police Officer at Chunga Wildlife Management College.  He then worked for National Parks and was involved in anti-poaching work under Save the Rhino Trust where he was also involved in research, wildlife counts and studies, firebreak programmes, vegetation studies, historical and archaeological surveys, and other research activities.

In 1996, Ashed became the first wildlife police officer to become a safari guide where he was trained by Robin Pope Safaris and then worked for Norman Carr Safaris where he successfully guided/hosted international guests and Zambian VIPs for six years.  Ashed has a deep passion for nature and the Zambian bush is a very important part of his life.

Thandiwe Mweetwa

Thandiwe was born in southern Zambia and fell in love with wildlife when she moved to the Luangwa Valley in January 2001. She was a committed member of Chipembele Wildlife Trust’s “Wildlife Conservation Club” during her time in secondary school. She graduated from high school with 1st class distinctions in all subjects and was awarded a scholarship by the Pestalozzi International Village Trust to study for an International Baccalaureate Diploma in Southern England. She is now a recipient of the International Student Humanitarian Award from the University of British Columbia in Canada where she is a 4th year Applied Biology student.

During breaks from university, Thandiwe works with ZCP as part of the ecology staff. Her duties involve conducting field research on large carnivores and their habitat and prey, as well as training new staff members and volunteers in all aspects of carnivore research and conservation. She’s currently conducting an undergraduate directed study focusing on lion cub survival as well as co-authoring a study on human-wildlife conflict in Zambia to submit for publication.

During her time here she’s quickly become an important member of the team and gained valuable experience in wildlife research techniques that will further her career aspirations.

Elias Rosenblatt

Elias joined ZCP’s Luangwa Valley ecological staff in 2010. He recently graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and wildlife biology, and is set on completing a graduate degree focused on carnivore conservation. Over the past 5 years Elias has worked on a variety of field projects around the United States, ranging from fisheries research to marine turtle monitoring. In addition to biological monitoring, Elias is involved in ZCP’s educational outreach, fund-raising, and project development.

Paola Bouley

Paola earned a M.S. in Ecology from the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies at San Francisco State University and a B.S. with honors in Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz.  She has a strong background in ecology and 14 years experience working on various aquatic and terrestrial research programs and leading community-based watershed recovery efforts.

Paola works from both abroad and from our base-camp in the Luangwa Valley assisting with all aspects of the Programme including fund-raising and outreach; capacity-building; Thronicroft giraffe, vegetation and carnivore monitoring.  Paola was born and grew up in South Africa.

Thomas Banda
Thomas is a ZAWA scout and member of the field research crew.  His training and experience allows us to better respond to situations such as snare removals and investigating poaching activity as well as to conduct routine activities such as investigating animal mortalities, collecting data on prides, packs, and clans and conducting vegetation surveys. In addition to his key role as a scout Thomas will be trained in various wildlife research and monitoring techniques to further his already extensive experience.

Henry Mwape ~ Ecology Intern 2010 & 2011. Henry Mwape, a very promising young student, was born and raised in Mfuwe, South Luangwa and is currently pursuing aB.Sc with a major in Natural Resource Management at the University of Zambia in Lusaka.  In the summer of 2010 he joined ZCP’s carnivore monitoring field teams to monitor lion and wild dog populations and to perform vegetation surveys in South Luangwa National Park and the surrounding Game Management Area.  In 2011 he returned to ZCP to continue assisting with with our field monitoring and community survey efforts.

.

Kafue National Park

Ana Maria Puerta

Ana is a wildlife veterinarian who completed her undergrad studies in veterinary medicine at Universidad de la Salle, Colombia and and MVS in Conservation Medicine from Murdoch University in Australia in 2010.  Ana joined the Namibina Wild Dog Project managing all aspects of veterinary research and treatment of injured animals.

In 2010 Ana began assisting with management of ZCP’s Kafue Carnivore Project and in due course will be focusing on capacity building of young Zambian vets and assisting ZAWA with emergency treatment of injured wildlife in the Park.

.

Liuwa Plains

Armstrong Chinga

Armstrong is a resident of Kalabo, has worked for the past four years for Africa Parks Network and the Zambia Wildlife Authority, most recently on a tracking project on eland in the Liuwa Plains ecosystem. As a ZAWA Wildlife Police Officer he highly values helping conduct research that will help rebuild healthy wildlife populations in this critical region. Armstrong joined the ZCP team in 2010.

.

Dennis Mutanga

Dennis has worked in the Kalabo region for the past six years working as a scout, tour guide and a tracker. He has two years of experience as an effective tour guide, many years of experience patrolling for poachers through difficult terrain, and most recently has worked monitoring reintroduced eland for the Zambia Wildlife Authority and Africa Parks Network. Dennis joined ZCP’s team in Liuwa Plains National Park in 2010.

______