The Kafue remains one of the largest wilderness areas in Zambia yet it has been overrun with rampant poaching and human encroachment bringing forth the usual aspects of habitat destruction, livestock invasion and slash and burn farming. Without a doubt the Kafue has born the brunt of the losses in biodiversity protection due to the ease of access with 2 major highways running through the protected areas.

Indeed it is only those pieces of wilderness under private ownership and protection that have truly seen any enhancement of wildlife numbers and habitat protection. This is truth, and while significant steps have recently been made in reclaiming lost land, the Zambian government has remained toothless on the issue of communities rights to their traditional land.

The remaining pristine areas are a few remote and highly prized sections of the Kafue National Park like the Busanga Plains, BUT the real jems are those privately owned un-fenced ranches lying along the Kafue river just north of Mumbwa town. They have proven over the last 14 years, that wilderness management left in private hands is without a doubt the key to success if Zambia's wilderness is to have any future. Time and again they have succeeded in protecting more wildlife than in the national parks and animals seek safety from the National Park by moving into these zones!

They are, by default funded through trophy hunting safaris because no one else has paid any attention to their success, always diverting attention away due to the ties with this industry, However it is only through this mechanism of consumptive use tourism that these areas are today the ONLY surviving pieces of the Kafue that have remained intact. All the other attempts at protecting the Kafue National Park by international donors such as UNDP have seen little fruit and transpired as very costly donor exercises!

Our support for the area of pristine wilderness comprised of Mushingashi and Mpiamadzi conservation areas as well as the Royal Kaindu community game ranch is in the form of promoting any generation of funds possible. These areas are privately owned and rely on commercial activities to protect their precious wilderness such as trophy hunting, fishing and game viewing tourism and game sales.