Zambian Radio Show Aims to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict in Farming Districts
Similar Articles
Conservationist Expands Program to Protect Lions and Communities in Zimbabwe
Zambian Man Recounts Elephant Raid That Destroyed His Home
Zambian Farming Community Powers Homes and Irrigation With Cattle Dung
Whitley Awards Honor Grassroots Conservationists Protecting Threatened Species
AI-Powered Bioacoustics Project Aims to Protect Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve
A community radio program in Lundazi, Zambia, sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), is working to promote coexistence between farmers and wildlife. The show, presented by Joseph Mwale, is part of a collaboration with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in a region where elephants must cross farmland to reach national parks. The initiative targets three districts with a combined population of approximately 500,000 people.
Facts First
- A community radio show on Chikaya FM is sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to promote human-wildlife coexistence.
- The program works with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in the farming districts of Lundazi, Lumezi, and Chipangali.
- The area is home to about 500,000 people and includes a transfrontier conservation area linking parks in Zambia and Malawi.
- Wildlife like elephants must cross farmland and settlements to move between Kasungu and Zambia’s Lukusuzi and Luambe National Parks.
What Happened
Joseph Mwale presents a twice-weekly radio program on Chikaya FM, a community station in Lundazi, Zambia. The show is sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which is collaborating with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) on a human-wildlife coexistence project. The project area covers three farming districts: Lundazi, Lumezi, and Chipangali. The region includes a transfrontier conservation area (TFCA) that links Kasungu in Malawi with Zambia’s Lukusuzi and Luambe National Parks. To travel between these parks, elephants and other animals cross through farmland, roads, schools, and homesteads.
Why this Matters to You
If you live in the affected farming districts, this radio program may provide you with practical information on how to protect your crops, property, and family from wildlife encounters. Learning about animal behavior and mitigation strategies through local radio could help reduce the risk of dangerous conflicts and economic losses. For the broader community, successful coexistence efforts might help preserve both local livelihoods and important wildlife populations that move through the area.
What's Next
The continued broadcast of the radio show is likely to be a key tool for ongoing community education. The collaboration between IFAW and the DNPW may expand or adapt its messaging based on listener feedback and changing patterns of human-wildlife interaction in the region.