The technology fighting poachers

by Luca Catalano Gonzaga

Poachers continue to push endangered species towards extinction – but with the support of groundbreaking tech, the Zambezi authorities are fighting back. The Kafue National Park, located 200 kilometres west of the its capital Lusaka, with an area of 22,000 km2, is the largest park in Zambia. However, despite its multifariousness of natural resources, the national park is more and more under threat due poaching, illegal fishing around Lake Itezhi-Tezhi and uncontrolled bush fires. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, it is estimated that between 4.000 and 6.000 poachers are operating in Kafue National Park, endangering fauna and flora. In the last few years, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Zambia undertook a project called Kafue National Park Connected Conservation (KNP CCP) – a project that integrates the internet and cutting-edge computing with a virtual fence of networked thermal imaging cameras across the key trafficking routes of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi. For this reason, leading technology companies such as CISCO, FLIR, and SMART Parks came together to provide vital communications and surveillance hardware and software aiming to protect the population of elephants and to control the activity of illegal fishermen and poachers’ hotspots in the Kafue National Park, also optimizing the coordination of patrol teams thanks to the enhanced control room operators, resulting in improved safety of scouts and rangers during patrols. Established with the support of Game Rangers International (GRI), the Wildlife’s Marine Anti-Poaching Unit is born, specializing in daily patrolling of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, in order to control illegal fishing and prevent poachers entering Kafue National Park from the lake, carrying out activity day and night, impounding boats and arresting fishermen who operate in areas or schedule prohibited by law. (Text by Luca Catalano Gonzaga).

 

  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Rallying of the Rangers, where orders are given on anti-poaching patrols. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, it is estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 poachers are operating in Kafue National Park, threatening fauna and flora, and, consequently, the tourism industry.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Distribution of ammunitions before departure from the “Game Rangers International” camp, for anti-poaching patrols.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Distribution of rounds of ammo, before patrolling by a team of the special anti-poaching unit (SAPU).
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Rangers prepare for departure with dedicated vehicles. The Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) was established as an intelligence led, rapid response unit, with the possibility to intervene everywhere and with the aim to identify the threats to wildlife in Zambia. The unit aims to directly target wildlife crimes in order to disrupt poaching and trafficking networks. SAPU has an embedded intelligence unit in order to identify the threats to Zambia’s wildlife.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Departure for patrol activities of a special anti-poaching unit (SAPU).
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Departure for anti-poaching patrol activities. The Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) was established to providing rapid response to versus wildlife crimes in and around Kafue National Park.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Ranger leaving for an anti-poaching mission, which will last a week in the Kafue National Park.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Preparation for a patrol exercise.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Distribution of ammunition to be distributed to rangers before an anti-poaching mission.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Breakfast at the first light of dawn, inside the “Game Rangers International” Camp.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Seizure of an illegal fishing boat. Lake Itezhi Tezhi was formed in the 1970s and covers an area of some 37,000 hectares. Its formation after the dam was built caused a gold rush, or rather a fish rush, creating livelihoods for those communities living around the lake, especially in Itezhi Tezhi town itself which is almost entirely supported by the fishing in the lake.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Fisherman stopped by rangers for illegal night fishing in protected park areas.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Seizure of illegal night fishing equipment in protected park areas. Bordering Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi covers an area of approximately 37,000 hectares. On a yearly basis, over 800 fishermen use the lake each year for fishing.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Seizure of illegal night fishing equipment.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Identification of an illegal fisherman before taking him to the local police station, where he will be placed in custody in jail.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Illegal fishermen waiting to be taken to Ngoma wildlife offices where they will be interrogated and jailed.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Seizure of the catch by the special anti-poaching unit (SAPU). Illegal fishing is leading to the loss of larger, most valuable fish species, and involves more and more use of environmentally dangerous fishing gears.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Seizure of the catch by the special anti-poaching unit (SAPU).
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Seizure of nets used illegally at night by some fishing boats.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. The seized boat is towed to the “Game Rangers International” Camp.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Evelyn muzhiwo, Control room operator. In the last few years, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia launched on a project called Kafue National Park Connected Conservation (KNP CCP) – a project that integrates the internet and cutting-edge computing with a virtual fence of networked thermal imaging cameras across the key trafficking routes of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. George Sakala, member of the Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU), at his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Brian Shumbwamuntu, member of the Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU), at his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Dennis Shaaia, member of the Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU), at his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Kingsley Kabanda, member of the Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU), at his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Braves Chivwubwe, member of the Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU), at his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Kedwin Mudenda, of the special anti-poaching unit (SAPU), at the camp in “Fresh Island”.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Patrol boat checks fishermen on the lake. Lake Itezhi Tezhi, is an especially vulnerable border for the park: poachers move back and forth across the water with legitimate fishers, hiding their weapons under fishing nets.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Fishing license check by the Marine Anti-Poaching Unit.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Warthog fatally wounded by poachers, is hoisted aboard the rangers’ patrol boat.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Patrolling by the shores of the Lake Itezhi-Tezhi. The vast Lake sits on the boundary of the Park, providing convenient access and exit routes into the Park. Thus, poachers, dressed as fishermen, carry snares and firearms into the park undetected among hundreds, if not thousands, of fishermen.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Fishing license check by the Marine Anti-Poaching Unit.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Rangers land on a fishermen’s island to check fishing licenses.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Fishing license check by the Marine Anti-Poaching Unit.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Fishing license check by the Marine Anti-Poaching Unit.
  • Kafue National Park, Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, Zambia. Portrait of fisherman inside his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Practice of patrolling techniques inside the park.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Practice of patrolling techniques inside the park.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Akim Zyuulu, Community Rangers, during a practice of patrolling techniques inside the park.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Practice of patrolling techniques inside the park.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Chase of a poacher who had planted animal traps.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Capture of a poacher who had planted animal snares. 75% of poachers use military firearms (accessed both legally and illegally), while 13% use snares.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Dry season fires in the Kafue Park are almost always malicious. The main reasons are: hunting, creating fresh growth for grazers and to clear areas around habitations, to reduce wildlife threats and allow cropping.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Dazilimo Zyambo, member of the special anti-poaching unit (SAPU), at his tent.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Physical exercises at the first light of dawn for the special anti-poaching unit (SAPU).
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. The Kafue National Park is the largest park in Zambia and one of the 10 largest protected areas on the continent. Zambia’s main tourist destination and internationally renowned wildlife sanctuary, it is home to lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas and 21 species of antelope. The Kafue River is home to crocodiles and hippos.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. The Elephant Orphanage is a “Game Rangers International’s primary project with an Elephant Nursery in Kafue National Park. Here, the orphans are gradually reintegrated back into the wild.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. The Kafue National Park (KNP) has the second largest population of wild elephants in Zambia. However, it has limited human and financial resources to provide adequate monitoring across a vast wildlife landscape of approximately 22,000 km2. As a result, the park faces great challenges from poachers’ side who trade ivory and wildlife illegally.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. The forest has the potential to drive more traditional and sustainable income opportunities, such as honey production, in order to improve the conditions of extreme poverty of the communities that live in the area surrounding the park. The honey industry in Zambia is growing exponentially, with the North-Western Province holding the potential to host an estimated 500,000 hives – enough to produce 25,000 tons of honey per annum. Currently, less than 1 percent of this capacity is met.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. Head of a few communities. For rural communities residing near the National Park poaching has long been a part of their livelihood just as charcoal burning, a practice that depletes forests.
  • Kafue National Park, Zambia. About fifty percent of the population in the area surrounding the park lives in extreme poverty. With few job opportunities, local communities depend on the forest for food, fuel and income. This combination of needs is driving deforestation, largely through deforestation for new room for agriculture or poaching for food and income.

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