Protecting Elephants

As 2026 gets underway and we approach the rainy season we are proud to share progress from our elephant conservation work in Zambia, made possible through your continued generosity.

Elephant Nursery and Chamilandu’s calf

The journey for an orphaned elephant in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem is a long road toward freedom, and your support is making every mile of that journey possible as we move into 2026. It begins at the Elephant Nursery, where the youngest rescues receive intensive care before transitioning to the Kafue Release Facility at Camp Phoenix.

This "nursery-to-release" model is currently proving its worth through a historic milestone: the recent birth of a fully wild-born calf to Chamilandu, one of the project's very first rescues from 2007. Her success is a living testament to the fact that these orphans can truly reintegrate and contribute to the longevity of wild populations in Zambia’s oldest and largest national park. Chamilandu’s calf Lula continues to thrive in the wild with her mother’s care and protection.

To ensure these elephants have a safe landscape to return to, our field-based conservation partners’ rangers are currently safeguarding approximately 3,500 square kilometres of critical habitat.

A focus on Rangers

Throughout 2026, our conservation field partners are aiming to achieve a staggering 10,000 ranger man days and 50 hours of aerial support to deter poachers and illegal resource users who often use the narrow Nkala buffer zone as a transit point. This year, there is an even deeper focus on the welfare of these protectors by ensuring 100% of the rangers are covered by specialised insurance and have access to mental health support and grief counselling, recognising that a resilient force is the backbone of a secure wilderness.

Community Garden Program

The work of our field partners extends far beyond the park boundaries and into the hearts of the local communities who share this land. Starting in April 2026, a new Community Guardian program will be launched designed to provide an early warning network for families facing human-wildlife conflict. By aiming to visit 75% of affected households within 48 hours of an incident, the team are working to prevent retaliatory killings and foster a culture where communities feel supported rather than threatened by their wild neighbours.

This is complemented by the education initiatives in 25 local schools, where conservation clubs and life-skills workshops are training the next generation of Zambian leaders.

Biodiversity Monitoring

Looking ahead to the middle of the year, our field partners will be launching a Biodiversity Monitoring program in June 2026, led by local interns who are gaining hands-on experience in science and research. This data-driven approach will help the team manage the ecosystem more effectively, from implementing early-season fire regimes in May to mitigating wildfire risks to piloting community camera traps that give farmers real-time insights into elephant movements.

Your partnership is transforming this landscape into a zero-poaching zone, ensuring that elephants can roam safely alongside the people of Kafue for generations to come.