MEDIA
HIGHLIGHTS
BBC Kingdom
The release of the BBC’s landmark wildlife series Kingdom, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, marked an exciting milestone for ZCP and our conservation partners. Filmed over five years in the Nsefu Sector of South Luangwa National Park, the series followed four carnivore families whose lives and landscapes have been monitored and protected by ZCP for more than two decades.
ZCP played a key role in supporting the production through the provision of long-term monitoring data, field access, scientific expertise, and on-the-ground logistical support. The series also highlights the collaborative efforts of ZCP, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Conservation South Luangwa, and Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust to conserve Zambia’s carnivores and the ecosystems on which they depend.
By bringing the stories of these animals to an international audience, Kingdom has generated significant interest in Zambia’s wildlife and highlighted both the challenges and successes of long-term, evidence-based conservation. The series provided a powerful platform to showcase the importance of protecting large carnivores and maintaining healthy ecosystems for future generations
Abashimba - The Return of Lions to Nsumbu
This film documents the reintroduction of lions into the Nsumbu National Park in the north of Zambia.
After several years of collaborative planning led by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and The Nsumbu Tanganyika Conservation Programme, three lions were translocated from North Luangwa National Park to Nsumbu National Park in October 2024, making the first resident lions in the area for nearly a decade. ZCP assisted in the planning, training, and reintroduction, as well as in the development of best practice guidelines to maximise the conservation value of lion translocations
"Mamas Season 2"
With some of Africa’s longest-running studies of large carnivores we have witnessed and chronicled many amazing individuals, and none more impressive than the mothers who raise pups and cubs against so many odds. In 2023 we worked with the Roku Channel and Plimsoll Productions for their Season 2 of ‘Mamas,’ highlighting wild dog and lion mothers raising their young in the wilderness of Kafue National Park.
ON THE BIG SCREEN AND IN THE NEWS IN 2023
Showcasing the Lives of Wild Dogs in Zambia
The trials and triumphs of three very different wild dog packs in the Luangwa Valley were again showcased in 2023 with the release of “Wild Dogs: Running with the Pack Season 2: Pack versus Pride.” The 6-part series from Love Nature and wildlife cameraman Julz Braatvedt and team gave people around the world a glimpse into the life of wild dog packs, and the conservation threats facing them, as well as the natural threats dogs face from lions.
Nature Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) Summit and Congress 2023, Johannesburg
In 2023, members from ZCP, Conservation South Luangwa, and Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust attended the NEWF Summit in Johannesburg. National Geographic Young Explorer Mercy Njobvu shared: "We connected with top wildlife filmmakers and shared our conservation work in South Luangwa—an inspiring week under the Africa Refocused theme."
About Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP)
The Incredible Journey of African Wild Dogs
Wild dogs can disperse over vast distances, and prior to 2022 the longest-recorded dispersal distance for the species was approximately 600 km. Our ZCP Luangwa Project documented three females leaving South Luangwa National Park and embarking on an epic, multi-country dispersal of over 2,000 km in 2022. Their story was captured by the New York Times and highlighted the importance of large, connected landscapes, and the important conservation work to conserve them.
Epic Adventures with
Bertie Gregory
Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory follows renowned wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory as he journeys to capture nature’s rawest moments up close, from remote jungles to expansive oceans. In the 2022 series, Bertie ventures into the Luangwa Valley, showcasing the thrilling lives of buffalo-hunting lions and spotlighting our Luangwa Project’s collaborative efforts in lion conservation. Through his storytelling, Bertie blends adventure and conservation, offering a powerful appreciation for some of the planet's most remote and remarkable ecosystems.
ON THE BIG SCREEN AND IN THE NEWS IN 2022
Running with the Pack
In 2021 we worked with Love Nature, wildlife cameraman Julz Braatvedt and his film crew to follow the lives of three African wild dog packs for six weeks during the dry season in the Luangwa Valley. This 6-part series gave people around the world a glimpse into the challenges and complexities of life in a wild dog pack, and the conservation threats facing them. Later in 2022 Season 2 was filmed with our Luangwa team and the dogs—stay tuned for the 2023 release!
BBC’s series Dynasties II
The lives of two iconic matriarchs – Kali and
Suma – were shared with the world in two episodes of the BBC’s Dynasties II in 2022. These amazing wildlife stories were filmed over three years in the Greater Liuwa Ecosystem
with the help of our field teams. The episodes followed Kali, the queen of Liuwa’s recovering
cheetah population and her cubs, and Suma, the leader of the South Clan hyena dynasty.
