Conservation At Large:
AN OVERVIEW OF THE ZAMBIAN CARNIVORE PROGRAMME By: Matthew Becker Photos: Zambia Carnivore Programme & Andrew Muswala
wildlife parts; overharvesting of wildlife; human-wildlife conflict; and disease. Fundamental to addressing these issues is accurate current and long-term scientific information to identify, moniarth’s ecosystems are extor, and evaluate these threats; periencing unprecedented rates conservation actions developed of rapid human-induced change, to combat the threats; and an with a vast array of negative ability to ensure the long-term impacts for wildlife and people. sustainability of these efforts With ever-increasing population through development of local growth and resource consump- conservation leaders across all tion, wildlife and wild places aspects of the work. continue to dwindle. Bordering eight countries with nearly Large carnivores such as lion, 40% of its landmass managed leopard, cheetah, wild dog and for wildlife and wildlife-based hyena, are iconic species in Afrieconomies, Zambia is of critical ca. As top predators they have importance for conservation an array of direct and indirect efforts in Africa. Nevertheless, impacts on ecosystems and many human threats face the therefore are of extreme ecocountry and its ecosystems: logical importance. In addition, rampant human encroachment; because they are beautiful, magmassive commercial trade in ilnificent, and fascinating they legal bush meat, ivory, and other are very significant economical-
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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA
ly--people travel from all over the world to see these species, paying considerable amounts of money in the process. However, large carnivores are also low-density and wide-ranging and can conflict with humans; they require a lot of space. But this space is running out, and across Africa these species are declining from human impacts. With growing human populations and resource demands, the space and resources these notoriously wide-ranging animals need are depleted, often to the point where carnivores can no longer persist. Thus the challenges Zambia’s wildlife and wild places face are unprecedented, complex, and rapidly changing.
The Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) is a non-profit Zambian organization dedicated
