Conservation Organisations Protecting Zambia’s Wildlife (2026)

Last reviewed August 2026. Conservation data changes — see the cited sources for the latest figures.

Why conservation partnerships matter in Zambia

Zambia contains several large wildlife landscapes where protected areas are connected to community-managed land, forests, fisheries and international conservation areas. That means wildlife protection cannot stop at a national-park boundary. African Parks’ renewed partnership for Liuwa Plain National Park, for example, explicitly includes migratory routes and areas beyond the park, alongside community development and sustainable financing .

The partnership approach is also important because Zambia’s wildlife areas have different ecological and social needs. Kafue requires coordinated protection across a vast national park and surrounding game management areas. The Lower Zambezi–Mana Pools landscape includes a transboundary river system where fisheries, tourism, communities and iconic wildlife overlap. In Western Zambia, forest protection and carbon finance are being developed alongside community and protected-area work .

Traditional leadership is central to several programmes. The Liuwa partnership brings together the Barotse Royal Establishment, Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism and African Parks, continuing a relationship that began nearly 25 years ago . The FAO-supported Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme works with Nyawa Chiefdom, which encompasses 500 villages, while CIFOR-ICRAF coordinates field activities with the national government . These examples show why conservation organisations increasingly focus on local governance and rights, not only on patrols.

Major threats facing Zambia’s wildlife

Wildlife crime and bushmeat hunting

Anti-poaching remains a core conservation priority. The Kafue case study describes a coordinated protection effort involving DNPW, Game Rangers International (GRI), Musekese Conservation, Panthera, Wildlife Crime Prevention, the Zambia Carnivore Programme and, from 2021, African Parks . The collaboration combined ranger operations, technology and scientific monitoring rather than treating law enforcement as an isolated activity.

Funding shocks can make this work more difficult. A fundraising appeal for Zambia’s wildlife rangers reported that the COVID-19 pandemic caused funding losses and a significant rise in bushmeat hunting . This is a reminder that conservation systems can be vulnerable when tourism income and donor support fall at the same time.

Habitat loss and fragmented landscapes

Habitat protection extends beyond formal parks. Peace Parks Foundation and BioCarbon Partners are working with 14 chiefdoms of the Royal Barotse Establishment on a REDD+ forest-carbon programme targeting 850,000 hectares of forest. BioCarbon Partners is providing initial funding of US$4.7 million for the project, which aims to reduce deforestation and degradation while supporting the wider landscape .

WWF Zambia’s 2026–2030 strategy identifies ecosystem restoration, sustainable land use, nature-based enterprises, green value chains and inclusive natural-resource management as linked priorities. Its partnership model includes traditional authorities, community-based organisations, producer groups, the KAZA Secretariat and ZAMCOM . The emphasis reflects a practical reality: wildlife habitat must remain ecologically connected and economically relevant to the people living alongside it.

Human–wildlife conflict

Communities living near elephants and other large animals can face risks to crops, livestock, property and personal safety. In Kafue, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation supports GRI’s Human Wildlife Coexistence Rangers and reports that more than 4,000 wildlife-friendly deterrent devices, including firecrackers and chilli bombs, have been provided to communities. The organisation attributes a substantial reduction in retaliatory killings to the presence and approach of Coexistence Rangers; it also records one tragic incident in the period discussed .

Conflict mitigation is not a single solution. The Rufunsa Conservation Project, launched in 2019 by GRI and DNPW with Community Resource Boards and Conservation Lower Zambezi, combines wildlife protection with coexistence, community empowerment, climate resilience and livelihood opportunities . Safari travellers can read more about this wider issue in SafariFind’s guide to human–wildlife conflict in Zambia.

Climate and changing natural-resource conditions

Climate resilience is becoming part of conservation planning. The CBA Scale+ project, involving IUCN, CARE, Peace Parks Foundation, Malhalhe and AJOAGO, aims to strengthen the climate resilience of more than 100 communities across Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique through participatory, gender-responsive and nature-based approaches. The project is funded by the German Government through the International Climate Initiative .

The FAO Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme also links conservation with livelihoods. Its Zambia work includes sustainable beekeeping in southern Zambia and practical measures such as spray races in Kazungula District to protect cattle, livelihoods and wildlife from tick-borne disease . These interventions matter because community support for conservation depends partly on whether natural-resource management helps people manage real economic and environmental pressures.

Leading conservation organisations and partnerships in Zambia

Organisation or partnership	Where or what it supports	Conservation approach
Department of National Parks and Wildlife	National protected areas and partnerships including Kafue, Rufunsa and Sioma Ngwezi	Government wildlife management, law enforcement and coordination
African Parks	Liuwa Plain National Park and Bangweulu Wetlands	Long-term protected-area management, community development, financing and ranger capacity
Game Rangers International	Kafue and Rufunsa	Ranger support, coexistence, community conservation and elephant rescue
Panthera and Zambia Carnivore Programme	Kafue and wider carnivore landscapes	Camera-trap research, intensive protection and carnivore conservation
Conservation International	Chiawa and Namoomba in the Lower Zambezi–Mana Pools landscape	Community fisheries co-management and sustainable enterprise
Peace Parks Foundation	Sioma Ngwezi, Simalaha and the Malawi–Zambia TFCA	Transboundary conservation, community conservancies and landscape finance
WWF Zambia	National and transboundary landscapes	Restoration, sustainable livelihoods, climate action and partnership development
Zambia Wildlife & Community Foundation	South Luangwa, Greater Kafue and North Luangwa	Community partnerships and direct operational support in game management areas

African Parks: long-term protected-area management

African Parks is a major partner in Zambia’s protected-area system. In July 2026, African Parks, the Barotse Royal Establishment and the Ministry of Tourism renewed their long-term partnership for Liuwa Plain National Park. The relationship began nearly 25 years ago, and the next phase focuses on conservation outcomes, community development, sustainable finance and the integrity of the wider landscape .

African Parks’ strategic funding partners also support Bangweulu Wetlands. Stichting African Horizon’s multi-year partnership is intended to safeguard biodiversity while providing benefits to more than 50,000 people living in the wetlands who need sustainable livelihoods . The organisation’s law-enforcement partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has supported ranger professionalisation, training, air surveillance, communications, wildlife monitoring and information management in protected areas including Zambia .

Coordinated protection in Kafue

Kafue National Park illustrates how several organisations can operate within one conservation framework. Panthera’s case study reports that annual funding reached approximately US$4,730,748 in the peak year of 2021, equivalent to about US$211 per square kilometre for the 22,400-square-kilometre park. It also records approximately 240 wildlife police officers and related scouts in 2021 .

From 2018 to 2022, intensive protection zones expanded from one to five. The five zones covered 11,300 square kilometres, or approximately half of Kafue National Park, with Panthera, GRI and Musekese Conservation each supporting zones alongside DNPW and other partners . These figures describe the specific case-study period; they should not be treated as a current 2026 staffing or funding total.

Scientific monitoring was part of the model. Panthera conducted Kafue’s first systematic camera-trap population study in 2018, establishing baseline density estimates for lions and leopards in the park’s core area . This type of evidence helps managers assess whether patrol investment and habitat protection are producing wildlife outcomes, although a baseline is not itself proof of long-term population recovery.

Community fisheries and transboundary conservation

In March 2026, the Government of Zambia handed over statutory instruments for newly declared Fisheries Management Areas in Chiawa and Namoomba. They were described as the first cohort of Fisheries Management Areas ever gazetted in Zambia. Both lie in a transboundary section of the river between Zambia and Zimbabwe within the Lower Zambezi–Mana Pools landscape .

Conservation International, the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), the French Government, the Department of Fisheries and local communities are part of this wider partnership. The stated goals include strengthening community use rights, protecting aquatic ecosystems, supporting livelihoods and creating sustainable economic opportunities . This is conservation beyond the traditional safari model: fish governance and local economic security can help protect a landscape that also supports elephants, lions and hippos.

Community organisations and local stewardship

The Zambia Wildlife & Community Foundation (ZWCF) works in three regions: the South Luangwa landscape, Greater Kafue and North Luangwa. Its stated partners include Conservation South Luangwa, the Zambia Carnivore Programme, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Frankfurt Zoological Society, DNPW, The Bushcamp Company and Musekese Conservation . ZWCF reports more than 300 Zambian staff, 85,000-plus community members in its game management areas and 1.3 million acres under its influence; these are organisational figures supplied by ZWCF and are not national conservation totals .

The Nature Conservancy says it has continued work begun in 2006 by strengthening local organisations and helping Indigenous Peoples and local communities secure rights, manage land sustainably and obtain greater returns from their stewardship of wildlife areas in Zambia and elsewhere in Africa . Its broader African programme is described as involving more than 200 partnerships, but that figure applies across Africa, not only to Zambia .

Community-led work is also visible in Rufunsa, where GRI, DNPW, Community Resource Boards and Conservation Lower Zambezi have developed a programme around rangers, coexistence, livelihoods and climate resilience . The lesson across these programmes is consistent: community involvement needs to include decision-making, practical benefits and support for local institutions, not simply consultation after plans have already been made.

What tourism contributes to conservation

A responsible wildlife safari can support conservation by creating demand for lodges, guides, transport, community enterprises and protected-area visits. Tourism is one component of the financing picture, alongside government budgets, philanthropy, carbon finance and international development funding. WWF Zambia’s strategy specifically seeks to retain and reinvest tourism revenue and reduce exposure to donor-funding volatility .

Tourism also creates a reason to maintain wildlife landscapes that extend beyond individual parks. Peace Parks’ 2023 impact report recorded 189 tourists in the Sioma Ngwezi programme area during the reporting year, alongside ranger patrols, community engagement and wildlife-corridor signboards . That figure is a programme record, not a measure of Zambia’s national tourism market.

Travellers can book conservation-supporting safaris on SafariFind, but the responsible choice is to ask operators how fees reach parks, community organisations and local staff. A quality Zambia national-park conservation programme should be able to explain its partners, local employment, community benefits and approach to wildlife viewing.

Results and setbacks: what the evidence shows

The evidence supports cautious optimism rather than a claim that Zambia’s conservation challenges have been solved. Liuwa Plain’s nearly quarter-century partnership has been renewed, showing institutional continuity between government, traditional leadership and an international park manager . Kafue developed a coordinated protection system with five intensive protection zones covering about half the park during the 2018–2022 case-study period . Rufunsa’s five-year report describes a progression from crisis response towards community-led conservation, with wildlife protection, livelihoods and coexistence addressed together .

There are also measurable operational records. Peace Parks’ 2023 Sioma Ngwezi report recorded an average of 99 rangers deployed, 12,756 patrol person-days, 489 patrols, 24 arrests and 441 human–wildlife-conflict cases. It also recorded three key animals poached, 69 snares and five firearms confiscated . These numbers show both active protection and continuing pressure; they are not a national poaching rate and should not be used to calculate one.

Financial sustainability remains unresolved. African Parks identifies sustainable financing as a priority for Liuwa, while WWF Zambia’s strategy seeks more diversified and resilient funding . The ZWCF’s 2026 capital campaign is designed to endow the foundation and reduce reliance on continuous fundraising, but its campaign target and progress are organisational fundraising figures rather than evidence of national conservation funding security .

Human–wildlife conflict is another ongoing challenge. The support for deterrent devices and Coexistence Rangers in Kafue indicates practical progress, yet the need for these measures—and the tragic incident reported by DSWF—shows that coexistence requires sustained investment . Climate resilience, rights, fisheries management and corridor protection must therefore remain part of conservation planning alongside anti-poaching.

How travellers can help responsibly

• Choose transparent operators. Ask which park fees, conservation levies or community payments are included and which local organisations benefit. WWF Zambia identifies tourism, conservation and sustainable land use as connected partnership areas .
• Respect wildlife-viewing rules. Keep distance, avoid pressuring animals for photographs and follow guide instructions. This supports safe coexistence, although the supplied research does not quantify the effect of individual viewing behaviour.
• Support locally led enterprises. Prefer guides, camps, crafts, cultural experiences and community conservancies that explain local ownership or benefit-sharing arrangements. The Liuwa and FAO programmes demonstrate the importance of local institutions and community stewardship .
• Do not buy wildlife products. Avoid souvenirs made from ivory, skins or other wildlife materials, and report suspected illegal trade through appropriate official channels. Wildlife crime remains a stated focus of ranger and protected-area partnerships in Zambia .
• Prepare for human–wildlife realities. Follow guidance around food, waste, walking and camp boundaries, especially in elephant landscapes. Coexistence programmes exist because communities and visitors share the same ecosystems .
• Give carefully. Donate to organisations that publish their geography, partners, programmes and results. Support can include ranger welfare, community conservation, habitat protection, fisheries management and long-term financing—not only anti-poaching .

Zambia’s conservation future will depend on whether these partnerships remain accountable, locally grounded and financially durable. For travellers, the most useful contribution is to visit responsibly, spend locally and support organisations whose conservation claims are tied to named places, partners and evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which organisations protect Zambia’s wildlife?

Key organisations include Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife, African Parks, Game Rangers International, Panthera, Musekese Conservation, the Zambia Carnivore Programme, WWF Zambia, Peace Parks Foundation, Conservation International, the Zambia Wildlife & Community Foundation and community resource boards .

What is the most important conservation partnership in Zambia in 2026?

There is no single most important partnership, but the renewed Liuwa Plain agreement between the Barotse Royal Establishment, Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism and African Parks is a major long-term example. The relationship has continued for nearly 25 years .

How are communities involved in wildlife conservation in Zambia?

Communities participate through traditional authorities, chiefdoms, community resource boards, community conservancies, fisheries management areas and livelihood programmes. The FAO Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme works with Nyawa Chiefdom, which encompasses 500 villages .

What are the biggest threats to wildlife in Zambia?

The principal threats discussed by conservation partners are wildlife crime and bushmeat hunting, habitat loss and degradation, human–wildlife conflict, climate pressures and unstable conservation financing .

How does tourism support conservation in Zambia?

Tourism can provide revenue for protected areas, conservation partners, local businesses and community enterprises. WWF Zambia’s 2026–2030 strategy specifically includes retaining and reinvesting tourism revenue to strengthen long-term financial independence .

What is happening in Kafue National Park?

Kafue has been supported by DNPW, GRI, Musekese Conservation, Panthera, Wildlife Crime Prevention, the Zambia Carnivore Programme and African Parks. A 2018–2022 case study recorded five intensive protection zones covering 11,300 square kilometres, about half of the park .

What are Fisheries Management Areas in Zambia?

They are a statutory framework for community fisheries co-management. In March 2026, Chiawa and Namoomba became part of the first cohort of Fisheries Management Areas gazetted in Zambia, within the Lower Zambezi–Mana Pools landscape .

How can visitors help Zambia’s wildlife?

Visitors can choose transparent operators, follow wildlife-viewing rules, support locally led businesses, avoid wildlife products and donate to organisations with clear programmes and reporting. Conservation partners emphasise community benefits, coexistence and sustainable finance alongside law enforcement .

Does Zambia have community-based conservation outside national parks?

Yes. Conservation organisations work in game management areas, community conservancies, chiefdoms and transboundary landscapes outside or alongside national parks. ZWCF operates in community-linked landscapes around South Luangwa, Greater Kafue and North Luangwa .

Is Zambia’s wildlife conservation succeeding?

There are documented successes, including long-term partnership continuity in Liuwa, expanded protection zones in Kafue and community coexistence work in Rufunsa. However, wildlife crime, conflict, habitat pressure and financial vulnerability remain ongoing challenges .