The link between conservation and security is clearer than ever. Poaching and illegal trade not only harm ecosystems but also fuel conflict and organised crime.
Scarcity of resources like water and food increases tensions and insecurity. Illegal trade in resources, including timber, distorts markets and harms businesses in Zambia and beyond. Zambia’s strategic location in Southern Africa, bordering eight countries, makes it a key transit hub for the illegal wildlife and timber trade, necessitating stronger enforcement measures to disrupt trafficking networks that exploit its extensive borders and transport routes.
Combatting this trade and promoting sustainable management protects supply chains, fosters growth, and opens new markets. The illicit wildlife trade, generating billions for criminal groups, undermines governance and security. Global cooperation, strong enforcement, and sustainable strategies are key to addressing these challenges. This report highlights WCP’s efforts in protecting resources and strengthening security for people and wildlife worldwide.
At Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP), we believe that tackling wildlife and forestry crime requires more than just enforcement – it demands a strategic, intelligence-led, and multisector approach that integrates law enforcement, legal frameworks, technology, and regional collaboration. Unlike many conservation organisations, WCP does not focus solely on direct wildlife protection but instead works to disrupt and dismantle the organised criminal networks driving environmental crime. Our core mission is to safeguard nature through collaborative partnerships, ensuring that conservation is not just about protecting species, but about securing ecosystems, strengthening governance, and creating safer communities.
WCP focusses on strengthening law enforcement institutions, improving legal frameworks, and ensuring that justice systems effectively prosecute and sentence environmental criminals. By combining crime mapping, and predictive analytics, we provide government agencies with the tools to intercept wildlife traffickers and target high-level offenders. Our collaborative model brings together government, regional partners, and international experts, ensuring that Zambia is not just responding to wildlife crime but proactively preventing it.
Photo credited to Mana Meadows
1 Strengthening the capacity of government institutions to dismantle criminal networks. 2 Promoting community awareness and behaviour change to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products.
Raising political awareness and informing policy to create lasting legislative impact.
Enhancing the application of the criminal justice system to ensure strong prosecutions and sentencing.
Fostering regional and international collaboration to combat transnational environmental crime.
Integrating research and technology for smarter, data-driven conservation strategies.
Ensuring a secure and sustainable operational environment to protect our mission and people.
By challenging conventional conservation models and addressing the root causes of wildlife crime, WCP is redefining how law enforcement, legal institutions, and communities come together to protect Zambia’s biodiversity. Our approach is not just about conservation – it is about transforming the systems that enable environmental crime and ensuring a future where people and wildlife can thrive together.
Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP) has been at the forefront of combating illegal wildlife and forestry crime in Zambia through strong partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and international organisations.
Our collaborative approach ensures effective law enforcement, legal prosecution, and public awareness to protect Zambia’s biodiversity and its communities.
In Zambia, WCP works closely with multiple government institutions through MOUs, including:
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Enhancing law enforcement capacity to tackle wildlife crime.
FORESTRY DEPARTMENT
Addressing illegal timber trade and deforestation.
NATIONAL PROSECUTION AUTHORITY
Supporting wildlife crime prosecutions and judicial processes.
DRUG ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION
Strengthening financial investigations related to wildlife crime.
Combating corruption linked to environmental crimes.
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTRE
Identifying financial crimes linked to illegal wildlife and timber trade.
UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
Improving the understanding of threats and risks to pangolins.
MINISTRY OF TOURISM
Advocating for sustainable policies and conservation initiatives.
Key achievements
LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT
Supporting 30 law enforcement units across Zambia.
Monitoring 56 courts to strengthen wildlife crime prosecutions.
Providing direct support to Intelligence and Investigations Units (IIUs), and Rapid Deployment Teams, has contributed to significant seizures and arrests.
TECHNOLOGY & INTELLIGENCE-LED OPERATIONS
Implementation of data-driven enforcement using predictive analytics, crime mapping, and geospatial intelligence.
Use of Cortex Edge database to support intelligence-sharing and cross-border collaboration.
PROSECUTION & CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Conviction rates for wildlife crime cases have increased from 63% in 2017 to 87% in 2024, and ensure appropriate sentencing.
Legal support provided across 56 subordinate courts, enhancing collaboration between investigators, prosecutors, and magistrates.
DISRUPTING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING
Over 9,900 arrests, 870 pangolins, 17.6 tons of ivory, and 77 tons of illegal bushmeat seized since inception.
11 regional syndicate members arrested in 2024, disrupting transnational criminal networks.
COMMUNITY AWARENESS & BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Campaigns like “This Is Not a Game” and “Protect the Pangolin” have influenced consumer behaviour and policy discussions around illegal wildlife trade.
Legal game meat promotion and public education on the dangers of illegal bushmeat consumption.
Moving Forward
Through continued collaboration with government agencies and conservation partners, WCP remains committed to disrupting wildlife crime networks, strengthening prosecution systems, and enhancing community engagement. By integrating technology, regional cooperation, and legal advocacy, WCP is driving long-term change to protect Zambia’s biodiversity and promote environmental justice.
CROSS-BORDER & REGIONAL COLLABORATION
Alinea Regional Programme expands WCP’s impact across Southern Africa, strengthening enforcement networks against wildlife crime.
Photo credited to Mana Meadows
LAW ENFORCEMENT
DISMANTLING ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME SYNDICATES
These areas support both environmental health and local economies through tourism.
However, wildlife faces threats from habitat loss and poaching, often linked to international crime networks. Protecting Zambia’s wildlife is crucial for both the country and global conservation.
Zambia’s 20 national parks and 36 game management areas, covering 30% of its land, host iconic species like elephants, lions, leopards, and endemic species such as the Black and Kafue Lechwe.
Recent efforts, including those by WCP, have stabilized elephant populations in South Luangwa and Kafue National Parks, with some signs of recovery. Conservation initiatives have also boosted leopard numbers in Kafue. These successes emphasize the importance of strong law enforcement, intelligence-led operations, and anti-poaching measures.
Conservation is essential for sustainable tourism and economic development. However, climate change, poverty, and limited opportunities make rural communities vulnerable to criminal syndicates involved in wildlife trafficking. To tackle this, disrupting the financial incentives behind environmental crime – such as targeting illicit financial flows – is vital to dismantling these networks and protecting Zambia’s natural resources.
Photo credited to Francois Delbee
WCP’s Strategic Response: Tackling Crime at Its Core
Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP), in collaboration with key partners, supports an intelligence-led approach that enhances law enforcement’s ability to tackle environmental crime more effectively.
By leveraging asset forfeiture, financial investigations, and multi-agency collaboration, WCP is working to dismantle criminal hierarchies at their root.
Our strategy integrates:
INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION:
WCP has formalised partnerships through eight Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with key government agencies, including the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), National Prosecution Authority (NPA), and the Forestry Department. These partnerships strengthen collaboration to ensure that financial and asset-related legislation is effectively applied in environmental crime cases.
ASSET FORFEITURE INITIATIVES:
Identifying and confiscating high-value assets used by syndicates to finance and perpetuate environmental crime.
CORRUPTION INVESTIGATIONS:
Pursuing high-level cases where corruption enables environmental crime, with two landmark investigations currently underway in partnership with the ACC.
Impact: Real Results in 2024
WCP, in collaboration with government agencies and local NGO partners, has made significant progress in disrupting wildlife and timber trafficking networks across Zambia:
1,147 arrests linked to wildlife crimes
859 kg of ivory seized, marking a significant reduction
44 pangolins seized, with seizures of both pangolin and pangolin scales showing a sharp decline
10 leopard and 5 lion skins seized, with a slight increase in cases.
18 high-ranking government officials and 11 regional traffickers arrested, striking at the core of organised wildlife crime.
42 heavy duty trucks seized, providing a real disruption impact.
Strengthened prosecutorial partnerships to ensure convictions that not only penalise crimes but also seize illicit financial gains. Impact: Real Results in 2024 continued
8,088 illegal timber logs and 21,554 illegal timber planks seized.
Local market prices for illegal wildlife products have dropped significantly across the board, indicating reduced demand – except for bushmeat, which remains a challenge and continues to have high market prices.
First-ever corruption-linked environmental crime cases under investigation, setting a precedent for tackling systemic corruption.
A Turning Point in Wildlife Crime
The overall decline in ivory and pangolin trafficking is a clear indicator that targeted enforcement and high prosecution rates are making an impact.
By addressing the financial drivers behind wildlife crime, WCP and its partners are dismantling the structures that fuel poaching and illegal trade. While timber-related crimes have surged, enforcement efforts are adapting to this shifting threat, ensuring that criminal networks – whether in wildlife or forestry crime – face increasing pressure. By systematically tracing illicit profits, freezing assets, and strengthening cross-agency collaboration, we are making environmental crime a high-risk, low-reward enterprise. Our 2024 successes demonstrate that Zambia’s enforcement agencies, when equipped with the right tools and strategies, can turn the tide against the financial drivers of wildlife and timber trafficking.
Environmental crime is not just about poaching – it is about corruption, organized crime, and illicit finance. By taking down syndicates where it hurts most – their profits – WCP is securing Zambia’s biodiversity for future generations while safeguarding its communities from exploitation.
Human Rights and Use of Force Training
In supporting government institutions in law enforcement, WCP prioritizes adherence to both local and international human rights standards. The responsible use of force is a critical aspect of wildlife law enforcement, ensuring that operations are ethical, legal, and effective. Well-trained officers are better equipped to uphold conservation laws while respecting the rights of local communities, reducing conflicts, and preventing human rights violations.
In early 2024, WCP, in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and conservation partners – including African Parks (AP), Musekese Conservation, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Panthera, Game Rangers International (GRI), Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ), Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) –facilitated specialized training on Human Rights and Use of Force for 81 DNPW Wildlife Police Officers nationwide. This training reinforced professionalism and accountability in field operations.
Looking Ahead to 2025
In 2025, WCP will intensify its focus on inter-agency collaboration to dismantle criminal networks at their core. Recognising that financial gain is the primary driver of environmental crime, our approach will center on disrupting illicit financial flows and stripping illegal profits from syndicates, deepening collaboration with multiagency partners, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), and National Prosecution Authority (NPA), integrating advanced investigative technology and cross-border cooperation to tackle regional criminal syndicates and disrupt trafficking routes.
Strengthening Conservation Governance:
The impact was immediate: no reported cases of human rights abuse or excessive use of force by DNPW throughout 2024. This initiative demonstrates the importance of ongoing capacity-building efforts in promoting ethical enforcement practices while strengthening conservation outcomes.
Supporting legal and policy advancements that enhance Zambia’s ability to prosecute and convict high-level environmental criminals.
Ensuring that law enforcement actions prioritise both deterrence and accountability, so criminal syndicates face lasting consequences.
Empowering Youth for Global Conservation: Remmy Kopeka,
WCP Data and Operations
Coordinator, travels to Singapore with WCN Careers Programme
“In April 2024, I joined 40 young leaders from 30+ countries at the inaugural CITES Youth Leadership Programme in Singapore. As part of the CITES Global Youth Network (CGYN), we shaped its vision, strategised against illegal wildlife trade, and explored sustainable solutions. Connecting with like-minded peers deepened my commitment to ensuring legal, sustainable, and traceable wildlife trade worldwide.”
Singapore
Zambia
TWO PROGRAMME
WILDLIFE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
“In the context of wildlife law enforcement in Africa, the prosecution of wildlife crimes is vital to combat the escalating poaching crisis. Effective prosecution not only ensures accountability but also strengthens deterrence, showing that crimes against wildlife will not go unpunished. This helps to restore public trust in conservation efforts and fosters a stronger legal framework for protecting biodiversity.”
– Okafor, L. (2019). Wildlife Crime and Law Enforcement in Africa: The Role of Prosecutions in Deterring Poaching and Trafficking. African Journal of Environmental Law.
Wildlife Crime Prevention has continued working closely with law enforcement agencies and the National Prosecution Authority to support effective environmental crime investigation and prosecution through its wildlife criminal justice programme (WCJ).
This partnership has provided a platform for collaboration and awareness, encouraging capacity building through ongoing mentorship, meetings and workshops. The WCJ team, comprising nine qualified Zambian lawyers admitted as advocates of the High Court, operates nationwide to strengthen prosecutions by serving as a vital link between the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, the National Prosecution Authority, and other agencies, ensuring more effective legal action and appropriate sentencing in wildlife crime cases.
Rapid Reference Guide Workshops
WCJ built on the Rapid Reference Guide by hosting capacitybuilding workshops to enhance skills and inter-agency collaboration. Strong cooperation between the Forestry Department (FD) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) is key to combating wildlife and forestry crime, enabling information sharing, joint patrols, and coordinated operations against illegal timber and wildlife trade.
Early in the year, WCJ trained 49 DNPW officers on docket preparation, witness management, chain of custody, and courtroom etiquette. A State Advocate from NPA led practical sessions over three days, covering crime scene procedures to trial presentation, reinforcing how proper evidence handling can determine case outcomes.
Later in the year, WCJ facilitated a two-day workshop under the Interagency Framework to enhance financial investigation skills. Expert Neil Bennett provided training on best practices and interagency collaboration in tackling financial crimes. Officers recognized that while enforcement mandates lie with key institutions, disrupting illegal flora and fauna trade requires collective agency efforts.
Human Rights Workshops
WCP integrates human rights into wildlife law enforcement, ensuring officers uphold these principles for a sustainable approach to combating wildlife crime.
In 2024, WCJ conducted three human rights training sessions in Bangweulu, Nyimba, and Petauke for 84 community scouts and 36 wildlife police officers. The sessions covered proper use of authority, the Bill of Rights, and procedures for handling force, firearms, and arrests involving women and juveniles. Given their key role in conservation, scouts must balance enforcement with human rights. These workshops reinforce that all suspects have rights, and with enforcement power comes the duty to uphold them.
Magistrate Field Visits
Before mid-2023, few timber-related cases, aside from mukula, were prosecuted, with low fines leading to admissions of guilt instead of court trials. Gaps in asset disposal prompted magistrate field visits to raise awareness of judicial asset forfeiture.
11 field visits were conducted engaging 40 magistrates from 35 courts
prosecutors
Including forestry officers emphasized their role in tackling forestry crime and highlighted the need for court prosecutions over fines. DEC and FIC joined to enhance financial investigations.
DNPW and FD officers
As a result, timber cases taken to court increased, with WCJ monitoring 63 forestry cases, reflecting stronger deterrent efforts.
Cross-Border Meetings
Wildlife crime’s transnational nature demands crossborder collaboration, especially in border towns where it intersects with human trafficking, drugs, and money laundering. In 2024, DNPW and NPA, with WCP support, joined three meetings with Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi to enhance cooperation.
These meetings strengthened networking, information sharing, and coordination. A key outcome of the Zambia-Zimbabwe meeting was a joint DNPW-Zim Parks mapping of poaching hotspots in Livingstone and Vic Falls, leading to intelligence on a notorious poacher and a proactive law enforcement response.
IN 2024
Prison Reintegration Programme
In 2024, Wildlife Crime Prevention in partnership with the Zambia Correctional Service implemented a wildlife offender reintegration programme in the Southern and Western Provinces of Zambia aimed at reducing the risk of recidivism.
This pilot project was one of the proposed interventions following a prison survey conducted in 2023 involving over 300 inmates in 32 correctional facilities across the country.
Twelve inmates selected based on their expected dates of release were carefully interviewed on their different life experiences to assess their risk of recidivism. Prison reintegration Programme Assistants and the Extension Officers further accorded them an opportunity to share their immediate needs and discuss the viable alternative livelihood activities they could engage in upon release. Depending on the needs, familial visits were arranged and supported, to not only determine whether or not the inmates had adequate support and accommodation options upon release but to also assure them that their reintegration into society would also be supported by their loved ones. The inmates were provided with care and startup packages once released into society.
Case Study:
Sesheke 001, sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in Namibia for wildlife crime, was transferred to Sesheke Correctional Facility in Zambia.
REINTEGRATION OF INMATE
“Sesheke 001”
During his first interview, he expressed a desire for a familial visit, having not seen his family since 2020. The project team traced his sister and arranged the visit, during which he learned of his father’s passing.
The visit was a turning point, with his sister encouraging him to pursue gardening, a skill he had learned in prison. She also provided a piece of land for him to start his new life. Upon release, he received a care package including clothes, food, and transport home.
The team followed up by delivering a solar pump system and vegetable seeds to assist in setting up his garden. This support helped Sesheke 001 establish a sustainable livelihood, reducing his risk of reoffending and enabling him to rebuild his life using the skills he had acquired in prison.
Courtroom Monitoring
WCJ supports law enforcement and prosecution by reviewing dockets, coordinating pre-trial processes, providing legal opinions, and monitoring court cases. Courtroom monitoring helps identify case weaknesses, capacitybuilding needs, and trends in wildlife and forestry crime.
The following case studies highlight key forest and wildlife crimes, showcasing law enforcement efforts and inter-agency collaboration in tackling illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and possession of protected species.
Number of New Wildlife Cases Monitored
Average custodial sentence
Photo credited to Mana Meadows
PROTECT THE PANGOLIN PROGRAMME
Pangolins play a crucial role in the ecosystem but face extinction due to illegal trade. Zambia is home to the Temminck’s ground pangolin and the white-bellied tree pangolin.
WCP’s Protect the Pangolin programme, in partnership with DNPW, focuses on rehabilitation, remote monitoring using GIS, and research to strengthen conservation efforts.
Collaborations with conservationists and scientists, along with intensive first responder training for law enforcement, enhance protection and sustainability of the species.
Post-release monitoring in partnership with Conservation Lower Zambezi assessed the survival and distribution of rehabilitated pangolins, completing in December 2024. Data from the pilot study is being compiled into a manuscript to guide future conservation efforts. Initial findings show an 82% survival rate one month after release among 11 monitored pangolins.
Participation in IUCN activities
As IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group members, we participated in regional conservation efforts, including an Action Planning Workshop by the Southern African Region Pangolin Working Group. This led to specialized groups drafting key resource documents for pangolin conservation.
Our Pangolin Programme Manager, Suwilanji Sichone, was appointed to the Southern African Region Pangolin Ex Situ Network, which develops standard procedures for managing pangolins in reserves, rehabilitation facilities, and controlled environments.
First Responders Training
To reduce stress and injuries in rescued pangolins, first responder training was conducted for Wildlife Police Officers in 11 hotspot IIUs. Officers from Livingstone, Kazungula, Kabwe, Serenje, Mkushi, Ngabwe, Ndola, Kalulushi, Mujimanzovu, Kasumbalesa, and Kasempa were trained.
IIUs received transport boxes, blankets, and first responder manuals. As a result, pangolins arrived in better condition, transported correctly, and officers gained improved knowledge of pangolin health and care.
Conservation Talks in Schools
Four school visits in Lusaka helped dispel myths and raise awareness about pangolins. Increased engagement is shaping positive attitudes, with some schools fundraising and donating to conservation efforts.
COMMUNICATIONS
Press Releases and Conservation Stories
WCP continues to lead public awareness on illegal wildlife trade and conservation through media campaigns and partnerships, including with DNPW. In 2024, 44 press releases appeared in 20 media outlets, including ZNBC and Hot FM, with key messages translated for broader reach. Additionally, 51 conservation stories were published in the Daily Nation, reinforcing national engagement in conservation efforts.
THIS IS
NOT
A GAME: Illegal bushmeat trade behaviour change campaign
WCP’s “This is Not A Game” campaign, in partnership with DNPW, raises awareness of illegal bushmeat’s harm to communities and wildlife. In 2024, it used behavioral science to craft targeted messages and worked with partners to influence bushmeat source populations. Baseline surveys reinforced that bushmeat is illegal, dangerous, and a disease risk. TINAG reached over 850,000 people, engaging 24,532 followers on social media. The campaign expanded through activations at East Park, Lewanika malls, the R&G Isuzu Mud Run, and visits to military cantonments in Mumbwa and Kaoma, engaging over 20 officers on the risks of illegal bushmeat.
Photo credited to Mana Meadows
Strengthening Partnerships for Future Impact
WCP partnered with the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia (WECSZ) to conduct three focus groups with 34 leaders from the Chongololo and Chipembele Conservation Clubs.
The discussions aimed to improve the clubs’ magazines, key tools for educating on issues like the illegal bushmeat trade. The need for ongoing content updates was emphasized, acknowledging the evolving nature of environmental threats and new information.
Women for conservation
Women in conservation face networking barriers, gender bias, and underrepresentation. Women for Conservation (W4C) fosters an inclusive network for support, idea-sharing, and opportunities.
2024 Highlights
“We believe there is always room for more content.”
Chipembele Club Leader, Chipata.
ECO-WALK & TREE PLANTING
On International Women’s Day, W4C partnered with Chifwema Arboretum for an eco-walk, fostering networking and nature appreciation. A guided tour introduced participants to Zambia’s diverse indigenous trees.
FILM SCREENING – WILD ZAMBEZI: DAVID AND GOLIATH
W4C hosted a free screening of Wild Zambezi, a documentary highlighting efforts to protect Lower Zambezi National Park. As part of the Save Zambezi, Safe Zambezi coalition, WCP helped stop the Kangaluwi mine and raised awareness of the dangers of mining in protected areas.
DIGITAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
To amplify women’s voices in conservation, WCP partnered with Yellow Ray Digital Agency to launch a six-month Women for Conservation Chapter. Through webinars and workshops, 70+ participants gained skills in digital marketing, branding, and advocacy, increasing conservation content online.
W4C ONLINE COMMUNITY
W4C moved to WhatsApp, enhancing networking and resource-sharing. With 166+ members, it serves as a hub for collaboration. To join, message +260 972911151.
Conservation Careers Fair 2024
INSPIRING FUTURE CONSERVATIONISTS
With the theme “Take a Step,” the fair encouraged young Zambians to pursue conservation careers. Speakers shared insights, emphasizing a supportive conservation environment.
Now in its eighth year, the Conservation Careers Fair connected over 1,200 attendees with 38 organizations, bridging the gap between students and employers in conservation.
Supported by sponsors like FQM, Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zambia, and NIPA, the event fosters a skilled workforce for wildlife protection.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
“With the new year settling in, I’m grateful to be in my #dream job—working in a peaceful, tree-filled environment, with duikers wandering past my window, reminding me why I do this work.
Back in 2018, I attended WCP’s first Conservation Careers Fair in Zambia, eager to explore opportunities. I never imagined that just two years later, I’d be working in conservation—bringing my Chartered Accountant skills to a field I love.
Conservation isn’t just for ecologists; it thrives on diverse expertise—lawyers, accountants, marketers, and more. Passion and purpose can align in any profession. If you seek meaningful work, consider organizations that serve more than just profit.” gained 5,672 new followers, A panel on “Job Seeking in a Digital Age” explored digital job search strategies. The fair reached 534,490 people on social media, and posted 47 conservation job opportunities.
SCHOOL VISITS
WCP Zambia engaged 125 students from four schools, introducing them to conservation careers and skills through expert-led sessions.
Margret Zoey Konie-Chibula, Conservation Careers Fair Alumni now with Alinea Network
Environmental Crime Journalism Fellowship
WCP’s ECJ Fellowship strengthens local journalists’ skills to report on environmental crimes. The first cohort graduated on 21 August 2024, empowering ten journalists to cover environmental and climate rights issues with informed perspectives.
2024-2025 COHORT
A five-day investigative journalism training, facilitated by MakanDay, launched the new cohort, focusing on exposing environmental crimes and advocacy.
“This week marked the end of an incredible journey with the 2023 Environmental Crime Journalism Fellowship. I was honored to share my experience and speak at the graduation ceremony.
Huge thanks to WCP Zambia, its partners, Makanday Centre for Investigative Journalism, and Charles Mafa for this invaluable opportunity. Journalists play a crucial role in tackling environmental issues, and I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned.
To my fellow fellows, your inspiration made this journey even more special. The future is full of possibilities—here’s to new challenges and adventures ahead!”
To combat rising pangolin seizures, WCP launched a baseline study to identify the root causes of the illegal trade, focusing on Lusaka, Northwestern, and Northern Zambia. Findings revealed that belief-based uses drive demand, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive interventions.
Community Engagement & Intervention
Using a co-design approach, WCP engaged traditional leaders, healers, and stakeholders in Solwezi to develop strategies discouraging pangolin use. Traditional healers were positioned as “guardians of health” and leaders as “custodians of tradition” to promote conservation.
Impact & Future Plans
Workshops and exposure visits fostered local responsibility, turning leaders and healers into conservation allies. The Solwezi pilot provides a model for scaling community-led strategies to protect pangolins nationwide.
Africa’s biodiversity is under threat from environmental crime, economic instability, and weak governance. Communities near wildlife-rich areas face limited opportunities, making them vulnerable to exploitation by criminal networks. Despite significant conservation funding, grassroots NGOs – best positioned to drive change – struggle with underfunding and systemic barriers.
We support grass roots NGO’s Who work across vast countries and landscapes
Who work with and support their government partners
Who work with and support each other
FUNDING
$1.05M disbursed to grassroots partners.
CAPACITY BUILDING
11 partners trained in data collection, governance, and security tools (Cortex Edge, Earth Ranger, SMART).
REGIONAL SUPPORT
12 partners funded across 8 countries (Angola, Botswana, DRC, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe).
ALINEA’S APPROACH
WCP’s regional programme, Alinea empowers grassroots organisations by providing financial, technical, and governance support, ensuring long-term impact. Beyond funding, we equip partners with essential tools, strengthen governance, and foster collaboration to create sustainable conservation solutions.
SYSTEMS-BASED CONSERVATION
Alinea addresses conservation, security, community well-being, and economic sustainability through an integrated approach. By working with NGOs, governments, and local institutions, we strengthen capacity, enhance collaboration, and drive landscape-wide conservation success.
Looking Ahead
Originally part of WCP, in 2025 Alinea will become a standalone organisation, allowing WCP, Alinea’s founding partner, to focus on its core mission while Alinea expands its impact across Africa. This transition strengthens regional partnerships and enhances grassroots conservation efforts.
RESEARCH
Research, Monitoring & Evaluation (RME) Department
Launched in November 2024, WCP’s RME Department ensures projects are data-driven, relevant, and impactful. Working with department leads, it measures and analyzes outcomes to improve conservation strategies.
Key Activities
Develops monitoring frameworks, SMARTER indicators, and data collection tools.
Provides training on research, evaluation, and data visualization.
Conducts statistical and spatial analysis for informed decision-making.
Supports mid-term and final impact assessments.
Publishes findings to share insights with partners and the conservation community.
Impact
RME translates project data into actionable insights, enhancing WCP’s effectiveness. By fostering learning and adaptation, it strengthens conservation strategies, improves efficiency, and ensures sustainable outcomes.
As WCP nears a decade of impact, we remain committed to protecting Zambia’s biodiversity and empowering communities.
Key Focus Areas
Strengthen government and partner capacity to investigate and dismantle major wildlife and forestry crime operations.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE –Improve law enforcement coordination, prosecution rates, and sentencing for environmental crimes. institutional frameworks.
ONE YEAR TO A DECADE:
& BEHAVIOR
Educate communities to discourage illegal wildlife trade and reduce repeat offenses.
REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION –
Strengthen government and partner capacity to investigate and dismantle major wildlife and forestry crime operations.
& RESEARCH
Leverage data analytics, predictive policing, and crime mapping for better resource deployment.
As WCP nears a decade of impact, we reflect with gratitude on the collective effort driving global conservation forward.
To our partners and stakeholders, your collaboration strengthens conservation efforts, making them more effective and inclusive. To our funders, your support empowers us to protect wildlife and communities, though we continue seeking sustainable funding for long-term impact. To the communities we serve, conservationists, and advocates, your passion fuels our mission.
Photo credited to Mana Meadows
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Our heartfelt thanks go to donors (in alphabetical order): Advocates for International Development, Caring for Conservation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, First Quantum Minerals, International Rhino Foundation, Niner Juliet Logistics, Oak Foundation, Panthera, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), The Miller Family, The Nature Conservancy and USAID,
Trace – Wildlife Forensics Network, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the US Embassy in Zambia, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, Wildlife Conservation Network’s Elephant Crisis Fund, Lion Recovery Fund, Pangolin Crisis Fund and Rhino Recovery Fund, and Mr William Hoyer.
We would also like to express our gratitude to our Founding Partners: Wildcat Foundation, Elephant Crisis Fund, Tusk Trust and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Thank you to our WCP Board
Chairman: Mwelwa Chibesakunda (Chibesakunda & Co), Vice Chairman: Rob Stacey (Niner Juliet), Kerri Rademeyer (WCP CEO), Michael Kachumi (Churches Health Association of Zambia), Alita Mbahwe (Zambia Police), Craig Reid (African Parks) and Alex Kennaugh.
