As I pause and reflect today on all that we’ve achieved in 2023, I am humbled by all of your support. Thank you for your ongoing and valuable donations and for your confidence in our work!

We made amazing inroads in wildlife conservation and improved livelihoods for our communities with your help. Our Wildlife Forensics and Pathology Lab pioneered advancements in genetic technology. Our livelihood teams implemented more precise actions aimed at helping communities that live at the interface with human-wildlife conflict. From porcupines to elephants to vultures, the number of animals that we rescued, rehabilitated, and released was even greater than in 2023.

And now, I am thrilled to tell you about our exciting plans for 2024! We are launching two new projects to help protect Zambezi National Park by integrating technology with our on-the-ground efforts to stop illegal wildlife trafficking.

The first project, which I am personally excited about, will allow the wildlife investigations team to utilize new software to develop a wildlife crime database to improve efforts in pinpointing illegal wildlife trade offenders and disrupting wildlife crime. Recognizing that wildlife crime transcends borders will make it easier to provide collaborative investigative support with Zambian wildlife investigators across the border and our teams in Zimbabwe.

In 2023, we collaborated with regional partners to initiate training on the software for six investigation officers. Moving into 2024, our focus is to extend its use across Northwest Zimbabwe and gradually scale it up nationwide.

Securing Zambezi National Park is an ambitious, multi-year initiative that aims to enhance our wildlife authority’s operational capacity, allowing them to target key poaching hotspots and adapt to real-time incidents. These new projects are critical to address the major challenges we face when addressing illegal wildlife crime.

Your year-end support is crucial for implementing these advanced technologies; you will directly and greatly enhance our wildlife conservation efforts to protect Zambezi National Park. By supporting our work in 2024, you’ll directly empower our teams with the necessary skills, resources, and cutting-edge tools to proficiently and rapidly respond to critical incidents, stopping illegal wildlife trafficking and protecting our most endangered species. And the first $5,000 in donations between now and year-end will be matched by a very generous Florida donor!

Thank you from all of us at Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust. The future is tech savvy here in Zimbabwe and together, we are creating a wild future together.

For Wild Africa, 

Jessica Dawson CEO