Greater Kafue Team
Conducting work across the Kafue, ZCP’s Kafue project is based out of a seasonal camp at Treetops School and a year-round camp in Central Kafue’s Chunga area, working on an array of activities in Zambia’s largest cheetah and wild dog population.
Stephi Matsushima
Stephi joined ZCP’s Kafue team in 2021 as a Field Ecologist and in 2023 she was promoted to Site Manager. Her interest in wildlife conservation began after completing field-based study abroad programmes in Belize and Peru, and after a semester at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. After completing her B.S. with a degree in environmental science and conservation, Stephi traveled the world studying a variety of different species: caracals in South Africa, fishing cats in Sri Lanka, and bobcats, pumas, grey wolves, and coyotes in the USA. Stephi looks to contribute to research that directly informs conservation and management strategies; her particular interests are in spatial ecology and predator prey dynamics. When not working in the bush Stephi enjoys a good cappuccino and recreating outdoors with her adventure pup, Ollie.
Dr. Michelo Mungolo
Dr. Mungolo was born and raised in the capital head of Central Province, Kabwe town. Growing up he loved animals, and spent much of his time with household pets and farm animals. This ultimately influenced his career path, inspiring him to dedicate his life to the care and protection of animals. Wanting to help prevent and treat animal diseases and injuries, Michelo pursued his doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Zambia, which he received in 2023. That very same year, he joined the Zambian Carnivore Programme, and is now serving as the Greater Kafue Project’s wildlife veterinarian. Michelo is very excited to be part of an incredible, motivated and hard-working team. He believes this job is a great opportunity – not only will it help diversify his wildlife knowledge, but he also knows he is helping make an impact in the wildlife sector by helping wild animals that require medical attention. When not rescuing animals, in his spare time Michelo likes to work out in the gym and listen to music.
Anna Kusler
Anna joined ZCP in 2018. After serving as Kafue's site manager for several years, she is now focusing on her PhD research -- though she still enjoys assisting the team in an advisory role to site management! Her dissertation through Montana State University examines the connectivity, demography, and conservation of cheetahs in Zambia, with an emphasis on the Greater Kafue Ecosystem. Before joining ZCP, Anna received her M.S. through Panthera and Pace University, studying mountain lion ecology in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Anna received her B.S. from Cornell University, during which time she studied cheetahs in Botswana, bats in New England, and forest ecology in Panama. Outside of bush life, Anna is a passionate (though not particularly talented) climber and mountaineer, an avid dancer, and really likes garlic bread.
Vedy Siabalima
The heart and soul of our team, Vedy Siabalima grew up along the shores of Lake Kariba the town of Siavonga in southern Zambia. He joined ZCP Kafue as our site mechanic in 2017, and everyday he brings joy, confidence, and leadership to our team. Trained as an electrician and mechanic, Vedy is now ZCP Kafue's workshop manager. In addition to keeping our fleet of Land Rovers safe and operational, Vedy also oversees our camp's general maintenance and manages our workshop and supporting team members. Plumbing, construction, carpentry, and electrical work... there's nothing Vedy can't do! Always a fan of learning, Vedy continues to develop his skills as a mechanic and enjoys spending time in the field with the animals and our field teams whenever possible.
Ruth Kabwe
Ruth Kabwe was born in Livingstone but raised in the mining town of Mufulira in the Copperbelt region of the country. She realized early that she wanted to live a life of selflessness and become a valuable contributor to a cause greater than herself. Driven by this passion, she attained her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a major in biodiversity conservation and ecology at the Copperbelt University. Ruth joined ZCP in November 2020 as a collaborative intern with ZCP Kafue's partner Musekese Conservation. For three years she served as a Senior Field Ecologist for both organizations, helping direct, manage, and implement the research, monitoring, and conservation initiatives shared by the two partners. In early 2023 Ruth started her Postgraduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice at the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) programme. Here she will spend the next 7 months with other international students from all over the globe, taking an array of rigorous conservation-related courses, getting intensive training, mentoring, and peer-based learning, and conducting independent research.
Johane Njobvu
Johane is the proud son of a safari guide, and was born and raised just outside of South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia. After completion of secondary school, Johane volunteered at the local veterinary clinic run by Conservation South Luangwa in Mfuwe, under the mentorship of Dr. Mwamba Sichande. This opportunity inspired Johane to pursue a degree in animal science management at Natural Resources Development College in Lusaka. During school holidays, Johane interned with the ZCP teams in Kafue and South Luangwa through the ZCP Conservation Biologist Training Programme. Well-equipped with vital skills for field work, after graduation Johane joined the ZCP Kafue team in April 2022 as a Junior Field Ecologist. His favourite part of the job is collecting data on animals in the field and spending time in the workshop learning about the land rovers. His favourite animal is the leopard, and in his free time he enjoys drawing, reading, bird watching, photography, and athletics. He looks forward to many more years with ZCP: Kafue is HOME!
Moses Muwowo
Moses grew up in the capital city of Lusaka. His passion for wildlife and nature was first ignited as a result of watching nature documentaries, and then further fueled after seeing how local communities abused nature – through activities like charcoal burning and poaching – near his family’s farm in the Rufunsa Game Management Area. These experiences inspired Moses to pursue a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management at the Copperbelt University, as it became his goal to advocate and speak on behalf of nature. In 2022, after graduating from CBU, Moses joined ZCP’s Greater Kafue Project as an intern through their Conservation Biologist Training Programme. His passion and dedication were unparalleled, and in 2023 Moses became a full-time junior field ecologist with the team. His favorite parts of the job are collecting behavioral data on carnivores, and educating children through ZCP’s conservation club programs, in hopes of helping inspire and teach the next generation of young Zambians about the importance of nature and healthy ecosystems. In his free time, Moses loves to lift weights, play football, and read books.
Evelyn Tembo
Evelyn was born and raised in Eastern Province of Zambia. She has always been passionate about animals and the environment, and a visit to a nature preserve in 2016 provided a particularly special moment that shaped her future. While at the reserve, Evelyn felt a special inner peace, watching the animals run freely in an open space. Her experiences growing up in Chivunga Village suggested that most people believe wildlife is hostile to humans. This experience inspired her to want to know more about the environmental education process, and led her to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Education with a focus in Geography from the University of Zambia. Evelyn joined ZCP in 2023 to assist with the Kafue Project’s operations and administrative needs, and its education programs. She is excited to expand in her role, and for her ability to contribute to conservation and human-wildlife coexistence. In her spare time, Evelyn loves to read, watch movies, listen to music, dance, and play badminton!
Karitus Mwansa
Karitus was born and raised in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. From an early age she loved nature and watching wildlife documentaries, which helped sparked her love of wildlife, ecology, and conservation. In secondary school she took part in the Climate Change club and the Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientists Club, which further inspired her to pursue a degree in Ecology and Wildlife Management from the University of Zambia. Karitus believes that it is our duty to care and protect the wonders of nature, and believes in the motto of one of her former professors: “Wildlife is voiceless, so we are its voice.” Karitus joined ZCP as an intern in 2023 and hopes to eventually pursue a graduate degree in wildlife conservation... and perhaps one day become a lecturer herself, to inspire and educate the next generation of Zambian conservationists!
Charles Kalambata
Charles Kalambata is a Wildlife Police Officer for the DNPW, and has been a core member of the ZCP team since 2016. Charles’ long-standing expertise on the park and its wildlife is integral to the team’s success, and his cheerful, can-do attitude always keeps the team’s spirits high! He has a particular interest in community development, and believes that the key to conservation success is through the involvement and empowerment of local people. In 2020, Charles graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife and Natural Resource Management at the Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management in Lusaka.
Dr. Cat Sun
Cat joined ZCP in 2022, and as our Senior Quantitative Ecologist she oversees a variety of field and research efforts across ZCP, focused mainly on the Kafue and the Kabompo ecosystems. Her work aims to estimate wildlife distributions and understand species interactions across human-impacted landscapes. She specializes in noninvasive monitoring and density estimation at multiple spatial and temporal scales. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. at Cornell University, estimating black bear distribution by combining camera trap data, genetics, and citizen science. Before joining ZCP, Cat worked in caribou conservation and human-wildlife coexistence in western Canada. She is excited to be part of ZCP's research programme, and is enjoying learning Nyanja and finally brushing up on driving manual vehicles!
Clement Kauseni
The ever-cheerful Clement Kauseni was born and raised in the small village of Kaindu east of Kafue National Park. Clement worked as a community scout for the Mumbwa Community Resource Board in the Kaindu area for 6 years before joining the ZCP team in November 2021. In addition to assisting with field operations and helping keep our teams safe, Clement has also discovered that he really enjoys vehicle mechanics! Clement enjoys working with ZCP because he loves the new and ever-changing challenges and all of the new skills he is learning. One day, he hopes to open his own mechanic workshop! He is happily married and the father of two wonderful children.
Logan Bates-Mundell
Logan joined the Kafue team in 2023 as a field ecologist, focusing on supporting the team’s camera trapping efforts. She completed her undergrad at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, and then went on to receive her Masters in Environmental Science from Albert Ludwigs Universitat Freiburg. Her background is in predator-prey dynamics and her thesis examined multi-site puma prey selection. She has completed research (and worked as an environmental educator) on 4 continents, including a seminal internship with the Olympic Cougar Project in Washington State, canopy predation research in the Black Forest of Germany with the University of Freiburg’s ConFoBi project, and a formative study abroad program in Queensland, Australia. Logan loves playing banjo, passionately follows any and all sports (with the exception of golf), and is a lifelong outdoorswoman. She has worked as a kayak guide (with orcas!), as a backpacking guide, as a climbing guide, and is an endlessly enthusiastic amateur roller blader.
Clement Mtonga
Mr. Clement Mtonga is a Wildlife Police Officer for the DNPW. Originally from Lundazi in Eastern Zambia, Clement has been working in the Kafue National Park (KNP) for 12 years, and his experience in this region are a tremendous asset to the ZCP-Kafue team. In 2020, Clement graduated with a Bachelor of Science in wildlife conservation and natural resource management at the Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management. After graduating, Clement looks forward to using his degree, experience, and knowledge to assist DNPW in tackling the complex conservation issues facing KNP.
Lwini Chivunda
Lwini was born in Zambia’s Western Province but was raised in Livingstone Town, the country's tourism hub. She currently resides in the Kafue’s Mukambi Safari Lodge community. Lwini started with our team as a laundry assistant, but quickly transitioned to assisting with cooking and cleaning, showcasing her versatility and willingness to contribute wherever and whenever needed. It was through Lwini’s strong work ethic, adaptability, and love for her work (and hobbies!) that the ZCP Kafue team was able to offer her the position of Head Cook in 2023. Outside of work, Lwini enjoys indulging her creative side by baking delicious treats, catching up on the latest movies, and listening to music. She's also a passionate netball player, finding joy in the teamwork and camaraderie of the sport. She aspires to one day becoming a pharmacist! It appears that serving others is Lwini's true calling in life.
Bonus Kabonka
Bonus Kobonka is a true man of the Kafue! Born and raised in the small village of Mukanashi just north of the park, Bonus has long called the Kafue his home. He is a true bush man! Bonus spent many years working as a camp attendant for the remote Treetops School before joining ZCP in 2022 as a camp attendant and mechanics-assistant-in-training! He is very excited to learn about land rover mechanics and to get into the field to see the park and its wonderful animals. Always seen with a smile, Bonus is the proud husband to his wife and father to his 2 young sons. When not at work, Bonus loves listening to music and playing football. His favorite animal is the oribi…because they are so fast!
Timothy Kahilu
Timothy Kahilu was born in Mukunanshi village, north of the Kafue National Park. In 2009 his family moved to Mungo, a small town in the Western Province, and that was where he pursued his primary and secondary education. But the Greater Kafue region always felt like home, so Timothy and his family moved back to Mukunashi in 2019. Timothy has resided there ever since. Timothy joined the ZCP Kafue team in September 2022, and now works as the Camp Attendant for our remote Treetops Camp. Timothy’s bush skills and big smile make him a valuable asset to the team, and through this job Timothy has discovered that he loves baking! He looks forward to learning more about baking and other skills, and also wants to learn more about the carnivores that ZCP monitors – he looks forward to assisting in the field any chance he gets!
Dr. Kambwiri Banda
Originally from Mfuwe in Eastern Province, Dr. Kambwiri Banda joined the ZCP Kafue team in 2015, after receiving his degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Zambia in 2014. He is currently working on his master’s degree at Montana State University, and his research examines the impacts of de-snaring efforts on the demographics of threatened wild dog and lion populations. A leader and core member of the ZCP team for half a decade, Dr. KB was the team’s field-based veterinarian and co-manager from 2015-2020.
Ben Goodheart
Since graduating from the University of Montana in 2012, Ben Goodheart has worked extensively as a field ecologist, conducting a wide range of research on migratory songbirds, small mammals, forest carnivores, and venomous snakes. His dream of working on African carnivores started at a young age, and that dream came true when Ben joined ZCP as a field ecologist in April 2016. He spent two years with ZCP in South Luangwa before moving sites to help co-manage the Greater Kafue Project. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. with ZCP’s Dr. Scott Creel at Montana State University looking at the population and spatial dynamics of Kafue's wild dogs. When not fixing broken Land Rovers, Ben enjoys coffee, chocolate, birding, and the perils of downhill skiing and mountain biking.
Lameck Sakala
Lameck Sakala is a graduate of ZCP’s Conservation Club programme, who joined our Conservation Biologist Training Programme in 2015. Originally from the Luangwa Valley, Lameck became an integral member of ZCP’s research team in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem. In addition to his work as one of the team’s core field ecologists, Lameck also served as the team’s education coordinator through our partnership with Treetops School Educational Facility. In 2020, Lameck began his Bachelor of Science degree at Mulungushi University, within the Water and Land Natural Resources Management Programme. He comes back to work with us and train interns during his school breaks.