Conservation

“The Earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry

Begin your journey

Photo Credit: Ed Selfe

Wildlife & Community veterinarian

Supporting Experts in the Field: Wildlife Veterinarian since 2013

South Luangwa National Park is teeming with wildlife, yet as the poaching crisis continues, these animals are finding themselves challenged more than ever before. From ivory poaching to illegal snare wires, the animals that survive are often badly injured and require urgent medical care.

Dazzle Africa collaborates with partners, Conservation South Luangwa and Zambian Carnivore Programme, to fund the only full-time wildlife veterinarian in South Luangwa Valley, Dr. Mwamba Sichande.

Photo Credit: Conservation South Luangwa

Why is this project important?

His work is crucial for saving wildlife in South Luangwa National park and the surrounding area through rescue operations and community-based veterinary work. From de-snaring endangered wildlife to collaring African wild dogs and lions, Dr. Sichande lies at the forefront of wildlife conservation and has saved hundreds of animals, translating to thousands of offspring.

Dr. Sichande’s work also extends to caring for domesticated dogs and cats in the village of Mfuwe to ensure they remain healthy and overseeing the treatment of the Delta Dog Detection unit, the canine unit used in anti-poaching operations.  

Dr. Sichande is a leader in wildlife veterinary work as well as a mentor to rural Zambian students aspiring to be veterinarians and follow in his footsteps. 

Thank you to our generous donors over the years, specifically Caroline Jones and Michael Binger who funded the start of this program in 2013 and Cathy & Mike Smith who have funded this program since 2018. 

See the effects of the Zambian Carnivore Programme

Photo Credit: Conservation South Luangwa

anti-poaching

Partnering with Conservation South Luangwa to fund anti-poaching operations since 2015

Wildlife poaching, trafficking and habitat loss represent an escalating international conservation crisis, with the South Luangwa National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas in the midst of this crisis.

Dazzle Africa supports Zambian partner, Conservation South Luangwa (CSL) to protect vulnerable and threatened species.

Why is this project important?

The success of anti-poaching missions relies on thorough and consistent training and preparation for all scouts and wildlife police officers. Funding these trainings increases the effectiveness of these missions and is essential in protecting wildlife in the South Luangwa.

As law enforcement efforts become more complex and extensive in response to more sophisticated wildlife crime, scouts and wildlife police officers need to adequately be prepared to face today’s wildlife perpetrators.

With scouts given the proper training, we believe that poaching can be stomped out of the South Luangwa Valley.

Over the last four years, Dazzle Africa has supported multiple anti-poaching activities, operations and equipment.

Assist our anti-poaching efforts, please Give Today.

Wings For Wildlife

Aerial support for anti-poaching and science: 2016

Video Credit: Fairlie & Jesse Arrow

South Luangwa National Park is one of the most abundant places on the planet, home to some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife. However, increased human pressure in the form of habitat destruction and poaching sadly continues to threaten the park’s wildlife. Monitoring and protecting wildlife populations solely by land is virtually impossible given the park’s sheer size and remote areas. 

Dazzle Africa assists in operational funding for the only plane in South Luangwa, Zambia used for anti-poaching operations and large carnivore research. This aircraft is shared between our two conservation partners, Conservation South Luangwa and Zambian Carnivore Programme.

Why is this project important?

Wings for Wildlife is allowing vast anti-poaching operations and scientific monitoring to take place which would otherwise be impossible if done exclusively by land. 

The Cessna-180 is instrumental in monitoring populations and conducting surveys of animals,  providing a wide-range deterrent to potential poachers, detecting illegal poaching operations, transporting detection dogs for emergency care, and to provide the ability for office based managers to quickly assess field based operations from the air. 

Thank you to Mike Paredes and Nancy Law for creating the Wings for Wildlife program and our steadfast donors for keeping this airplane flying. 

Video Credit: Farilie Arrow Productions

In 2021, Ms. Balaban, a long-time partner of Dazzle Africa, generously donated seed money to begin a much-needed and critical helicopter program for Conservation South Luangwa in South Luangwa Valley, Zambia.

This ongoing program supplies rapid patrol deployment at the scenes of poaching incidents, year-round response capability, and severe deterrents to poaching, as well as advantages including emergency medical evacuation of scouts, resupplying ground teams, transporting personnel and equipment to remote field camps in the rainy season, and access for our field veterinarian team to rescue wounded animals. To learn more about this project, email Stacy@dazzleafrica.org.

conservation education

Mimbulu soccer academy

Launched in 2016 to engage local Zambians in understanding carnivore conservation in South Luangwa

The Mimbulu Soccer Academy participates in the South Luangwa Safari League and has now reached over 10,000 people! After each game, the athletes engage the audience in conversations about the negative impacts of snare wire poaching and littering and teach the local community how vulnerable carnivores are to poaching.

The name Mimbulu means wild dogs and through the excitement of supporting this team, the community has begun to love this endangered animal. There are currently less than 6,000 wild dogs in the world and they are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Mimbulu Soccer Academy was started and is run by members of the Zambian Carnivore Program.

Thank you to the Miller Family for sponsoring the Mimbulu Soccer team for 2020.

Photo Credit: Zambian Carnivore Programme

conservation radio show

Supporting the Zambian Carnivore Programme

People protect what they know, which is why we believe in shining a multi-colored spotlight on pressing conservation issues among mass audiences.

The radio show is an hour-long monthly program conducted by award-winning conservationists, Ecologist and Education Manager of Zambian Carnivore Programme, Thandiwe Mweetwa, and Ecologist and Educational Coordinator, Henry Mwape. Both at the forefront of conservation, Thandiwe is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and Henry, a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Arizona. This radio show encompasses relevant conservation topics ranging from human-wildlife conflict to poaching to wildlife-based economies. It aims to raise awareness among the pressing threats that Zambia’s wildlife is facing and to inspire people to take Action.

Thank you to the Miller Family for sponsoring this radio show for 2020.

Scout Employee Benefit Program

A scout patrols job is physically exhaustive, and dangerous work. More than 70 full-time wildlife scouts in Mfuwe, Zambia take on these honorable positions to protect African wildlife. We offer student sponsorships to  Conservation South Luangwa, Zambian Carnivore Program and Zambia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife employees whose children are achieving degrees in higher education.

Pictured from left to right: Likando Maimbolwa, Brian Banda, Joy Banda, and Emma Kanyembo.

 

What are you waiting for?

Photo Credit: Cathy Smith