Elefence Suppport Project

CLZ Operation Base and Training Camp

Protecting Lower Zambezi National Park
CLZ intervention and support has led to a major reduction in poaching activities in the past three years. Consequently, large animals have migrated back across the Zambezi from Zimbabwe to the increasingly protected Lower Zambezi National Park. Legal hunting operations in Zimbabwe also push many large animals into Zambia. With ongoing protective policies in place, CLZ hopes to expand biodiversity into richly diverse levels.

Types of poaching
CLZ and Elefence focuses primarily on three distinct types of poaching. Zambia is still a relatively poor nation and the rural people do not have the luxury of viewing wildlife for its beauty. Therefore, they believe subsistence poaching is necessary to feed their families. The greatest poaching threat and challenge in the park, however, is the commercial meat poaching trade. Due to improved communication and a more rapid response to gunshot reports, there's been a decrease in the use of weapons for commercial poaching. However, the result is an increase in the use of wire snares. This silent, lethal loop of wire bent to form a noose is placed on a wildlife trail. Snagging animals around the necks, legs or trunks causes severe injury and can result in a slow, agonizing death. Finally, trophy poaching continues to be focused at the most endangered species for their ivory, horns, pelts and body parts.

CLZ Operations Base and Training Camp

Base camp is strategically located on the banks of the Zambezi River and only five minutes from the nearest airstrip. From this strategic location, CLZ and ZAWA can monitor the area from the land, river and air. Most of the year, the camp is a hub of activity, with a constant flow of ZAWA patrol officers moving to and from the valley, stopping in for fuel and rations. CLZ facilitates meetings among community, safari tour operators and ZAWA, regularly accommodating area managers, wardens and rangers as well as researchers and directors of wildlife organizations that support CLZ programs.

A proposal to the Danish Embassy has been submitted for funding to implement a Community Based Conservation Education Program. If successful, CLZ will expand its operation and base camp in 2002 to accommodate school groups. CLZ and Elefence believe that if the children of Zambia can learn to enjoy and respect their national heritage and understand why it is so important to conserve and protect their environment and valuable natural resources, then anti-poaching patrols can be reduced or eliminated in the future.

Activities will include bringing in groups of Zambian school children from the surrounding area for a 3-4 day program of conservation classes, game drives in the National Park and boat trips on the Zambezi River. A mobile audio-visual unit will also expand the message of safeguarding habitat and wildlife for their cultural, scientific and economic values.