SAPU2 Game Rangers International

Our project aims to fund and support law enforcement activities in Zambia that help identify and secure convictions for poachers and traffickers. Funding also helps an education and outreach program that engages local communities and helps foster a deeper understanding about the protection and importance of their native wildlife.

The Problem

Situated at the heart of the Southern African region, Zambia shares largely unprotected borders with four countries identified by CITES as ivory poaching and trafficking source countries: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Tanzania as well as three states with important elephant populations in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. This places Zambia in the centre of the regional transit networks, with illegal wildlife products from a number of countries being transported from and through Zambia en route to other transit and market countries. Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka is a well-known wildlife crime hub where wildlife products are processed and criminals can source weapons, finance and other logistics.

The Solution

Working closely in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) Intelligence and Investigations Unit (IIU) nationwide and regionally, our team helps to support:

Intelligence Operations: covert, undercover, information gathering ops;
Investigations Operations: raids, stings, roadblocks, airport & border controls;
Rapid Response Unit: to increase human resource capacity (planned for 2016)
Detection Dog Unit: to support roadblocks and airport operations (planned for 2016)
Baseline understanding of illegal wildlife trade in Zambia (volume, domestic market, transit routes, main actors, extent and impact)
Ivory stockpile management and control
Wildlife crime prosecutions and judicial systems
Support is provided through training and capacity building to the DNPW officers who have the legal mandate to conduct these law enforcement operations.