Conservation

ZCP’s conservation efforts focus on identification and resolution of immediate human-centered threats to large carnivores and the complexes of protected areas and Game Management Areas (GMA’s), what we term ecological networks, they reside in. These threats are identified and evaluated through research efforts and consequently are largely centered around habitat conservation, anti-poaching, human-wildlife conflict and species reintroductions, and include:

Risk Mapping and Viability of Ecological Networks

As with the carnivore species reliant on them, the massive size of Zambia’s ecological networks suffer from a lack of fundamental information to guide their conservation. Specifically knowledge of human influences in the form of habitat degradation, encroachment, agriculture, livestock, and poaching activities are poorly described and understood in all of the study areas.

As part of a collaborative research effort between ZCP and Dr. Fred Watson of California State University-Monterey, we are currently assessing long-term vegetation changes, hydrology, fire dynamics, human encroachment, and carnivore habitat selection. Collectively our data will help inform habitat and wildlife corridor protection.

Partners: Dr. Fred Watson – California State University Monterey, WWF-NL, WWF-ZCO, Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA)

Securing Ecological Networks from Poaching Threats

Meat-hunting in the form of snaring is one of the most pervasive poaching activities in Zambia. Snares are typically of crude wire construction designed to tighten and constrict around whatever portion of an animal that encounters them. Snares are set in great profusion around waterholes and other high use areas and, because of their indiscriminate nature far-ranging carnivore species are particularly susceptible to coming into contact with snares. To combat this threat, ZCP has teamed with the South Luangwa Conservation Society (SLCS) since 2008 to employ a four-person “Wild Dog Anti-Snaring Team” supported by Painted Dog Conservation Inc. and designed to target areas of high risk for wild dogs and other carnivores.

With a recent upsurge in snaring that resulted in a large proportion of the Luangwa valley lion population carrying snares, ZCP and SLCS have teamed with National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative to combat lion mortality from snaring by 1) forming a four-person “Lion Anti-Snaring Team” patterned after the successful Wild Dog Anti-Snaring Team to reduce snaring in high risk/high use lion areas, 2) Conducting scientific studies to evaluate snaring trends and patterns in effort to better understand and combat poaching, and 3) Continuing snare removal and medical treatment by ZCP/SLCS teams that to date has saved over 80% of snared lions (n=11) since mid 2009.

Wire snares being prepared for permanent removal from the Luangwa Valley.

Wild Dog Anti-Snaring Team on Patrol

Data from SLCS anti-poaching patrols are utilized in ZCP scientific analyses of poaching trends and distribution, as well as evaluations of anti-poaching efficiency, as it is clear that work is needed to properly identify whether poaching is increasing or decreasing, whether commercial or subsistence demands are driving the activities, where materials and equipment are originating from, the demographics of the poachers themselves, and ultimately whether anti-poaching efforts are effective or additional strategies are necessary.

To further support anti-poaching efforts, ZCP has created a funded “Wildlife Research Coordinator” for SLCS responsible for compiling and summarizing patrol data for poaching analyses which is currently funded through NGBCI.

Partners: SLCS, Painted Dog Conservation Inc., National Geographic Big Cats Initiative; Dr. Fred Watson – California State University Monterey, Dr. James Murdoch – University of Vermont, ZAWA, WWF-Netherlands.

Reducing Human-wildlife Conflict

While human-wildlife conflict is fairly pervasive in ecosystems worldwide, effectively mitigating these conflicts requires obtaining accurate information about human activities and incidences of conflict. For example, in the Luangwa and Kafue carnivore conflict with livestock is minimal due to tsetse fly-borne livestock disease discouraging husbandry of livestock but encouraging agriculture; thus conflict is primarily related to elephant and hippo crop depredation. However, areas such as Liuwa and Bangweulu have substantial livestock populations and therefore can be expected to have livestock-carnivore conflict with restored carnivore populations. Also, with changing human demographics and new technology, such as effective tsetse fly eradication measures that could allow livestock ranching, the nature and degree of human-wildlife conflict can change quickly, necessitating constant attention through adaptive management.

Community surveys to assess attitudes toward wildlife and conservation, the extent of human-wildlife conflict, and mitigation work needed to address it have been conducted by ZCP in South Luangwa since 2007 and continue to be an annual assessment to evaluate potential changes in attitudes and wildlife conflicts, expanding in 2010 to Liuwa and Bangweulu and to Kafue in 2011. These surveys are coordinated by a local ZCP staff member and community members..

Partners: African Parks Network, WWF-Netherlands

Protecting Carnivores and Communities from Disease Outbreaks

Carnivore diseases are primarily transmitted from domestic animals to wild species, but due to overlapping resource use and competition between wild carnivores, disease transmission between these wildlife species is also possible.

The Luangwa Valley of Eastern Zambia holds a significant and possibly increasing population of wild dogs following years of scarcity that coincided with an outbreak of anthrax in the late 1980’s (Turnbull et al. 1991). However, increasing human encroachment into carnivore habitat, with an accompanying increase in the abundance of domestic dogs in and around villages can pose a significant disease transmission threat.

An estimated population of over 5,000 animals in the central portion of the valley, these dogs are utilized for hunting game and guarding and are also frequently consumed by spotted hyaena, lion, and leopard. No established vaccination programme for domestic animals exists in the area, thus most dogs are highly susceptible to the spread of disease.

ZCP works with Dept. of Veterinary and Livestock Development staff to obtain blood samples and vaccinate domestic dogs in the Mfuwe area as part of collaborative effort between ZCP, ZAWA, and the Vet Dept. to reduce disease outbreaks and transmission between domestic and wild carnivores.

Given the abundance, distribution, and population trends of domestic dogs, and their potential for direct and indirect disease exposure to African wild dogs, we have implemented a vaccination programme for rabies, parvovirus, and canine distemper in an effort to limit the threat of disease transmission between domestic dogs and wild carnivores in protected areas of Luangwa and Liuwa.

Partners: Dr. Are Berentsen National Wildlife Research Center/APHIS; Painted Dog Conservation Inc., Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Department of Veterinary and Livestock Development, African Parks Network, WWF-Netherlands

Carnivore Species Reintroductions

In several of the project areas, particularly in Liuwa Plain and Bangweulu Wetlands, many wildlife species have been locally extirpated due to poaching, hunting and direct persecution. Consequently species reintroductions of lion to the Liuwa National Park are underway and a cheetah reintroduction into Bangweulu wetlands is also being developed.   ZCP largely assists in the research and monitoring before and after these reintroductions in order to ensure and evaluate their success and the resulting impacts as top predators are restored.

Partners: African Parks Network, ZAWA, WWF-NL, Cheetah Conservation Fund .

Protecting Zambia’s Wildlife Heritage: The Wild Dog Anti-Snaring Team

Habitat Corridor Conservation