Zambia, like many other African countries, experiences high levels of poaching for the consumption of bushmeat and trafficking in wildlife products. To combat poaching in South Luangwa, anti-poaching foot patrols are essential. Over the past 20 years, CSL has worked hand-in-hand with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) to combat poaching in South Luangwa.

CSL supports 108 well-trained and highly disciplined scouts (including 25 female scouts). Scouts can spend up to 21 days in the field navigating challenging terrain, encountering potential conflicts with wildlife, and enduring extreme temperatures while carrying heavy backpacks and equipment to protect the wildlife and habitats of South Luangwa. These dedicated and brave men and women work tirelessly to track down and apprehend wildlife crime suspects.

The scouts were posted to various existing ground patrol teams, helping to increase the human resource capacity for CSL/DNPW anti-poaching activities. Over the first 4 months of the project, a total of 319 foot patrols have been successfully deployed, patrolling 20,250km of the South Luangwa protected area. These anti-poaching patrols resulted in the recovery of 219 deadly wire snares, identification of 25 poachers’ camps and 50 bushmeat drying racks, the confiscation of 35 illegal firearms and 272 kgs of bushmeat as well as the arrest of 76 wildlife crime suspects.

Project Monitoring, Evaluation & Results

Over the first four months of the project we have already seen a clear improvement in anti-poaching effort of our ground patrol units. During this period, a total of 319 foot patrols were deployed, an average of 48 per month, a 30% increase in number of patrols deployed compared to the same period in 2022 (246) and a 23% increase in average monthly deployments when compared to January to August 2023. A total of 20,250km of protected area was covered by patrols from September to December, a 75% increase in coverage compared to the same period in 2022 (11,551km) and a monthly average increase of 20% compared to January to August 2023.

Over the two years of this project, CSL and DNPW deployed a total of 1,687 foot patrols, averaging 70 patrols per month and covering 118,585 km of protected area.

Year 1 Summary: September 2023 to August 2024 (12 months)

Patrol Effort: 891 anti-poaching foot patrols covering 58,307 km of protected area.

Key Results:

• 511 deadly wire snares recovered

• 167 wildlife crime suspects apprehended

• 93 poachers’ camps detected

• 77 illegal firearms confiscated

• 505 kg of bushmeat seized

The Year 1 effort and results reflected immediate and significant contributions of the newly trained scouts to CSL’s overall law enforcement effort, helping to increase patrol capacity and strengthen deterrence across South Luangwa.

Year 2 Summary: September 2024 to August 2025 (12 months)

Patrol Effort: 796 anti-poaching foot patrols covering 60,278 km of protected area.

Key Results:

• 363 deadly wire snares recovered

• 69 poachers’ camps identified

• 98 illegal firearms confiscated

• 953 kg of bushmeat seized

• 168 wildlife crime suspects apprehended