wILDlIFE dISCOVERY cENTRE

OPENED 8TH AUGUST 2022

In the early 1970s, His Excellency President Kenneth Kaunda was watching elephants in the Luangwa Valley with his good friend, David Shepherd He turned to David and said, "We must have places like this and witness such wonders to truly sort out our priorities"

In honour of His Excellency, Kenneth Kaunda and David Shepherd, the GRI - Wildlife Discovery Centre was created.

Visitors enter through a spacious Welcome Hub, which houses informative displays about the park including live updates of wildlife sightings, as well as The Collective, a stunning gift shop showcasing the finest of Zambia’s artisans Three interactive Conservation Huts have been individually curated by locally based conservation partners, to provide an indepth look into their efforts to protect Zambia’s wild spaces, with a current focus on vulture preservation and human-wildlife conflict mitigation Our Explorertorium is bursting with easy-to-read information boards, fun interactivities and discovery tables filled with skulls, feathers, pods and quills. The content celebrates nature’s diversity, examining animal adaptations, relationships and behaviour Visitors also have the unique opportunity to view the orphaned elephants from our raised viewing hide in the heart of the Park.

The Centre was officially opened by the Minister of Tourism, Honourable Rodney Sikumba on the 8th of August, and attended by special guests including the British High Commissioner and officials from the Departments of National Parks and Wildlife. The two families of the late conservation giants, Dr Kenneth Kaunda and David Shepherd were also present on the day, and planted two fig trees to represent the fifty-year friendship that transcended international boundaries and played a key part in ensuring that we are still able to see wildlife - especially elephants - in their natural habitats today

We hope the Wildlife Discovery Centre will inspire and engage a wide range of visitors to the magic of Zambia’s wildlife whilst demonstrating, very visually, the harsh conservation realities faced through the presence of the elephant orphans in our care.

Since the opening of The Wildlife Discovery Centre, the facility has been successful in raising awareness about conservation efforts and the importance of biodiversity preservation to both local and international visitors. The Centre has also provided a unique opportunity for members of the younger generation who attend our Discovery Days to become stewards of a sustainable ecological environment

EMMA MWEENE WDC Hospitality Manager