December 2024:  The Zambezi Society’s end of year news for 2024 reports on a useful dialogue session hosted with conservation colleagues to share ideas about what's needed to effectively sustain support for Zambezi Valley conservation into the future.  We highlight some promising developments for the future management of some of the Valley's protected areas, but also many challenges, including some worrying development controversies in and around the Victoria Falls.  We report on our fieldwork assisting ZimParks with vehicle support for anti-poaching deployments and reactions in the Zambezi Valley, and supporting WildCru’s predator survey work in the Sengwa, Chirisa and Chizarira areas. We continue to provide practical solutions to communities in and around Kariba and Mana Pools with Human-Wildlife Co-Existence (HWC), and are expanding our innovative HWC Virtual Reality programme to schoolchildren. We also pay tribute to two dedicated conservation colleagues who lost their lives in tragic circumstances.

Nov 2024: Recent concerns about burgeoning development pressure in and around the Victoria Falls point to a worrying lack of will to co-ordinate the planning for the whole area. The Victoria Falls and their surrounds are not only a local and regional tourism jewel, they are a Natural Wonder and World Heritage Site of priceless intrinsic value to the whole world. They need to be safeguarded through careful zoning and enforcement of boundaries. Several planning processes are underway to ensure this, but the current situation is fraught with complexities. Various players with different ambitions are all competing for a share in what is seen as a lucrative pot of gold. Confusion over zones and boundaries is providing loopholes for controversial new developments and activities to take place within areas which are highly ecologically sensitive. Some of these have already attracted legal opposition. Zimbabweans need to have the courage to prioritise the global intrinsic value of Victoria Falls over its local economic value.

Oct 2024: The formation of trusts and agreements with ZimParks for the co-management of the Matusadona National Park (with African Parks) and, more recently, the Greater Mana Pools Ecosystem (with the Peace Parks Foundation)  represent major positive steps for the future conservation of the Zambezi Valley landscape.

In October 2024, The Zambezi Society convened an interactive dialogue session in Harare to focus on the trends and changes taking place within the Zambezi Valley, and to explore interactively what is needed to effectively sustain conservation support for the area into the future. We provide a summary of what took place at this meeting and list the priorities for action decided upon by those who attended.

Jan - April 2024: The Zambezi Society is focusing and strengthening our efforts to help communities with practical solutions and awareness about Human-Wildlife Co-Existence, along the southern boundary of the Charara Safari Area and within Kariba Town itself. We're printing new awareness materials and plan to extend our Virtual Reality programme in schools to other parts of the Zambezi Valley. We continue to assist ZimParks with anti-poaching around Kariba and in Mana Pools, where the new trans-boundary co-management agreement with the Peace Parks Foundation brings hope for new partnership opportunities. We've also got some more carnivore survey research work lined up with WildCru this year, and we welcome Zambia's decision to withdraw the licence for the controversial Kangaluwi Copper Mine in the Zambezi Valley opposite Mana Pools and Sapi. This is a great win for conservation!

Nov-Dec 2023: This year, Zamsoc has continued to provide material and operational assistance to ZimParks in the Charara Safari Area and in Mana Pools. We await more details of the newly-signed Peace Parks/ZimParks co-management agreement for the Greater Mana Ecosystem, and are standing by to collaborate. Thanks to donor support, we helped to complete carnivore surveys in the Zambezi Valley, strengthened our Human-Wildlife Co-existence projects with communities in the Charara-Kariba area, and provided ongoing support for rangers and their families.

July 2023: We welcome the halt of mining activities at the Zambian Kangaluwi copper mining project opposite the Mana-Sapi-Chewore World Heritage Site and hope that the new Lower Zambezi/Mana Pools Trans-Frontier Conservation agreement will strengthen efforts to combat such threats. We report on our community work, carnivore research, and ongoing support for Zimparks (ranger deployments, food supplies and refurbishments at Marongora School).

July 2023: We report on the progress that The Zambezi Society’s Human Wildlife Co-Existence Officers are making in the settled areas surrounding the Charara Safari Area and lately Kariba Town, where people and wildlife live in close proximity. We are focusing on reducing human-wildlife conflict by holding awareness workshops and providing Virtual Reality experiences for school-age children.

On 19 May 2023, The Zambezi Society filed a formal objection to an application by Shalom Mining Corporation (Pvt Ltd) to prospect for petrolium oil and gas within a large area of the Hurungwe Safari Area in the Zambezi Valley adjacent to the Mana Pools National Park.

Jan-Feb 2023: Our first quarterly news for the start of 2023 reports on our strengthened Codes of Conduct for Mana Pools, our anti-poaching assistance to ZimParks, and our help for communities adjacent to Charara to safeguarding livestock against predator attacks. But we are sad to report the loss of two more highly respected conservation colleagues.

Oct 2022: Our quarterly news Bulletin provides a round-up of our current field operations and projects, and issues of concern, higihlighting reports of insensitive tourism behaviour in Mana Pools. We call for dialogue on wildlife translocations into the Zamebzi Valley, pay tribute to a lost colleague, and celebrate the re-opening of our office at the Mukuvisi Woodlands in Harare.

The Zambezi Society has embarked on a very exciting new programme to introduce interesting, emotive, wildlife-positive Virtual Reality (VR) videos to school children who are currently only experiencing negative wildlife interactions.

Aug 2022: In our quarterly news, we feature the progress being made with our new community Human Wildlife Co-Existence Project, introduce an exciting new nature-based education programme for rural children, summarise our field operations with ZimParks in Charara Safari Area, and feature some tourism controversies and fund-raising opportunities.

July 2022: We outline progress by our team of Community Human-Wildlife Co-existence Officers and their new Project Supervisor in mitigating conflict between rural communities near Charara Safari Area and the wild animals that live next door to them. They are collecting data, and teaching people new skills to keep wildlife away from livestock and farmlands, while avoiding conflict situations.

May 2022: Community stakeholders in Victoria Falls are deeply concerned that the essential natural elements that make this one of the 7 Wonders of the World could be lost if a recent rush of tourism developments proposed within the protected areas of the Falls and its surrounds are allowed to go ahead.

May 2022: Our quarterly news Bulletin features the start of fieldwork and road clearance after the rainy season; a visit by an important donor, an introduction to our Human-WIldlife Co-existence Officers and a controversy over new tourism developments and activities in Victoria Falls

April 2022: We introduce the Zambezi Society’s team of Human Wildlife Co-Existence (HWC) Officers who are working among rural communities on the southern boundary of the Charara Safari Area to help reduce loss of livelihoods caused by conflicts between people and wild animals.

Oct 2021: A summary of Zamsoc’s busy fieldwork season, our upcoming focus on Human Wildlife Co-existence, the launch of a Zamsoc gift page on Amazon.com for gifting items to assist anti-poaching rangers - and lots more.

Oct 2021: New research into tusklessness in elephant populations in Mozambique has shown that this phenomenon (which is common among Zambezi Valley elephants) has a genetic cause and is linked to sex.

Oct 2021: A summary of Zamsoc’s busy fieldwork season, our upcoming focus on Human Wildlife Co-existence, the launch of a Zamsoc gift page on Amazon.com for gifting items to assist anti-poaching rangers - and lots more.

July 2021: Mid-year news and updates from the Zambezi Society as we continue field operations in Mana Pools and the Charara Safari Area, support Zambia in a fight against mining, and gear up to celebrate our 40th anniversary in 2022.