The governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, officially establishing the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA).

“This agreement reflects their dedication to enhanced cross-border protection, demonstrating international co-operation in the face of global environmental challenges,” reads a joint statement from the governments.

Spread across 18 515 square kilometres in the Zambezi River basin below Lake Kariba, the new conservation area encompasses vital conservation territories, including the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia and the Unesco World Heritage Site, Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe.

It also comprises a variety of game and safari management areas, communal land, and conservancies. The Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools Transfrontier Conservation Area serves as a critical pathway for wildlife between the escarpment and the Zambezi River.

Peace Parks Foundation commended both governments for their “visionary commitment and leadership” in conservation and sustainable development.

Victoria Falls and its surrounds offers some wonderful scenery, experiences and wildlife. However, poaching is a harsh reality, and if ignored and unchecked, will cripple the localeco-system. The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) have boots on the ground and eyes on the future. They, in conjunction with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, are the unsung heroes of every game drive and safari in the National Parks areas, protecting the environment and its inhabitants for generations to come. Our industry colleagues at Wild Horizons has been a proud supporter of VFAPU for 15 years, providing financial and operational aid to further their reach and impact. This meaningful partnership is rooted in a shared sense of purpose and appreciation for the remote wildlife areas that make Victoria Falls such a unique place.

VFAPU has 15 high-performing scouts who are trained in the tracking and apprehension of poachers, many of whom pose a lethal threat not just to the animals, but the scouts themselves. It is a job that requires the utmost dedication as the days are long and the challenges daunting. Some patrols take place over several days, venturing deep into the National Park with the team covering up to 15km each day. Small details such as a footprint in the dust or trampled patch of grass can lead the scouts in the right direction. Their senses must remain on high alert for any small piece of evidence that might go unnoticed to the untrained eye.

When one thinks of wildlife poaching, images of poachers with high powered rifles may come to mind. However, this is just one approach. Snares are rudimentary pieces of wire fashioned into a loop, left (and often forgotten about) in areas of high animal traffic. VFAPU have removed 22 500 snares from wildlife areas, saving as many lives in the process. To date, the scouts have rescued nearly 300 mammals who have been injured through poaching activities, all of which received veterinary attention and once recovered, were released back into the wild. A staggering 900 poachers have been apprehended, and the damage prevented through this alone is incomprehensible.

Funding remains one of the biggest challenges that VFAPU faces. Their invaluable work incurs massive costs and donations are vital to ensure the continued success of the organisation. Wild Horizons pays the salaries of three scouts each month and sponsors the fundraising activities hosted by VFAPU.

By simply reading and sharing the work that VFAPU do, the call of the wild travels a little further. However, if you would like to donate to VFAPU, please visit their website at http://vfapu.com/donate/ where you can also discover more about their extensive projects.

Financial help is always appreciated, but boots, green shirts, hats, flashlights, sleeping bags, raincoats and medical supplies will also make a difference.

 VFAPU started as a team of three dedicated individuals. Now, they have given a global community the power to transform knowledge into action. Because of them, future generations will walk in an elephants footsteps, hear the haunting whoop of a hyena, and find shade beneath a tangle of trees on the banks of the Zambezi River.

Great news that Cindy, one of the celebrity cheetah of Hwange, has returned to the Bomani / Camelthorn area, accompanied by one of her cubs. Cindy and her remaining, playful cub are well habituated to vehicles, and indeed to the lodges – both sauntered past the Bomani dining room recently pausing to drink at the trough near the pool, then lay down, ignoring the human activity so close to them.  The other well-known cheetah mother, Queenie, has been seen in the Kennedy pan area of the Park, still with two healthy cubs.

In more cheetah news, 2 males were recently photographed on the plains near Camelthorn, and a search of the Cheetah Zimbabwe research database failed to identify them.  This is excellent news that individuals are still able to migrate long distances between different populations.  These latest cheetah are in their prime, at about 4 years old.

The researchers also had an interesting sighting recently of a male who was born at Ngweshla in the Park in December 2010, and who disappeared for four years until he triggered a camera trap across the Botswana border west of Hwange in 2017. Based on recent sightings, he is now a resident in the Shumba area, near remote Nehimba lodge in the north of Hwange. Great news indeed.