South Luangwa National Park and the surrounding Game Management Areas face rapid encroachment from human settlement and agriculture. Human populations have more than doubled over the past twenty years and as a result, there is a high demand for protein in the form of bush meat as well as opportunistic and planned commercial hunting forays. Snaring is easy, generates high returns and presents a very low risk to the poacher.

With high densities of wildlife in the game management area bordering the National Park, easy access to wire, a large scale market for selling bush meat and availability of cash in a developing tourist destination, South Luangwa faces enormous problems with snaring that is escalating to critical levels.

CSL shares a full time wildlife veterinarian with the Zambian Carnivore. Program, Dr Mwamba Sichande, ensuring our capacity to mobilise veterinary care quickly to snared or injured animals. Since 2005, over 10,000 snares have been removed from the bush by CSL Scouts and more 250 animals immobilized and treated for snare wounds.

CSL works closely with the Zambian Carnivore Program (ZCP) team who conduct research on carnivores in three national parks across Zambia. In Luangwa, ZCP share carnivore location data with CSL who are then able to deploy anti-snaring patrol in areas where wild dogs and lions frequent. ZCP’s GPS locations from wild dog and lion collars are often the only means we have been able to find and rescue snared animals.

Find out more at www.zambiancarnivores.org