South Luangwa Conservation Society - Anti-poaching support

Wet Season

During the wet season in the South Luangwa National Park, due to the park's inaccessibility during the rains and the fact that safari bush camps and some lodges close down for this period, there is an increase in poaching in remote areas within the National Park. To minimise such activities, the South Luangwa Conservation Society (SLCS) takes part in anti-poaching efforts during this time by providing a constant law enforcement presence in the southern section, specifically the Luamfwa and Kapamba areas of the National Park. 

During the rains, the Kapamba and Luamfwa areas are well-known sensitive localities and are largely targeted by poachers for big game, specifically elephant and buffalo. This can be seen in that the buffalo population in Luangwa has plummeted by almost 50% in the past ten years, declining from 20 000 to a mere 9 000 animals.

As part of its anti-poaching efforts, village scouts are trained by SLCS and conduct regular anti-snaring patrols and frequent long patrols (ten days each) within the Park and surrounding Game Management Areas (GMAs). 

For the past four years, SLCS has been supporting anti-poaching fly camps during the wet season. The fly camps are carefully located in sensitive areas of high poaching pressure. Each is a base from which patrols are deployed, and is equipped with tents, communications equipment and solar equipment. This ensures that the area is covered for 20 days at a time until the changeover group comes in. 

SLCS continues to provide all the manpower, scout equipment, logistical support, supervision and coordination for the fly camp programmes - a large part of which the Trust is funding for 2009.

About the South Luangwa Conservation Society
The SLCS is a registered non-profit organisation, committed to the conservation and preservation of local wildlife and natural resources of the South Luangwa National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas. This is achieved by anti-poaching patrols and snare removal programmes, uplifting of local communities by alternative income generating projects such as tree planting and chilli farming, and education of local children to appreciate their heritage and work towards sustainable wildlife utilisation and coexistence.

Dry Season - Aerial Monitoring with Light Aircraft

It is fundamental to reinforce and improve SLCS and ZAWA law enforcement efforts with aerial support in order to reduce illegal activities, and protect the wildlife and natural resources in and around the South Luangwa national park by:

•    supporting ZAWA in law enforcement activities through streamlining anti-poaching operations with aerial support;
•    expanding SLCS park and GMA patrol coverage; and
•    by securing the availability of a light aircraft for anti-poaching and surveillance purposes.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

•    To secure aerial support for anti-poaching and surveillance;
•    To increase the apprehension of poachers;
•    To increase effectiveness of anti-poaching patrols and scout efforts;
•    To reduce incidences of poaching;
•    Supporting and enhancing ZAWA's law enforcement efforts in monitoring the illegal killing of elephants;
•    To expand patrol and surveillance coverage of park and game management areas; and
•    Strengthening the darting and veterinary program by locating snared and injured wildlife.

Primary function of air support

Air support takes the form of pro-active and reactive operations.

The most common pro-active role of an aircraft in the context of the South Luangwa National Park would be to fly the boundaries (Luangwa River and Muchinga Escarpment) and internal areas regularly. This serves as an effective deterrent to illegal entry and illegal operations inside the Park. It would also serve as a means of verifying the whereabouts of ZAWA and SLCS anti-poaching scouts whilst on patrol. Of late, it is being realised that patrols being conducted are not as effective as they could be, due to the lack of any means of checking on patrol whereabouts. A light aircraft would enable the SLCS operations personnel and ZAWA to conduct regular spot checks on scout whereabouts and ensure patrol effectiveness. The regular presence of an aircraft over the park will also act as a deterrent, and in the case of visual identification of illegal activities will give a distinct advantage in apprehending suspects.

Used in a reactive role the aircraft can get to the scene of an incident very quickly, and then control the situation on the ground most effectively by keeping the visual contact with suspects and directing ground forces onto them.

Secondary function of air support
Although anti-poaching operations and research would be the primary role of the aircraft, the secondary role would be that of acting in support of park management.
This would include:

•    Aerial game monitoring;
•    Aerial habitat assessment;
•    Problem animal detection and control;
•    Various survey assignments;
•    Monitor and assess game scout movements while on patrol;
•    Intelligence gathering outside park boundaries including map appraisals;
•    Used as an aerial detection and command centre in runaway fire control in conjunction with ground fire-fighting team;
•    Carcass detection and special mention should be made of the value of the role the aircraft would play in the detection of animal carcasses where a poaching incident is suspected. From time to time scouts on patrol hear shots in the park, or else vulture activity is seen in an area and personnel are deployed on foot and in vehicles to attempt to ascertain whether in fact an animal has been poached; and
•    Identification and monitoring of snared animals and assisting the darting team in tracking snared animals.

It must be stressed that the principles, uses and roles of the aircraft, some of which are mentioned above, are not merely theoretical, but have been tried and tested in many varied situations and contexts, and have always proved very successful.

Beneficiaries

ZAWA, SLCS and the South Luangwa National Park will benefit from the following expected outputs:

•    Improved law enforcement within the park and GMA;
•    Improved effectiveness of patrols;
•    Improved cost effectiveness of patrols;
•    Increase reports and identification on illegal activities;
•    Decrease in poaching; and
•    Increase in suspects apprehended.