The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust believes that wildlife research plays a key role in finding sustainable solutions for long term conservation. Increasing human populations places strains on environmental resources, including wildlife habitats. Decreasing habitats and conflict with humans are the two biggest factors contributing to the decline of most wildlife species today. However, there are ways for people and wildlife to co-exist. The Trust undertakes a range of research projects from iconic species of lion and rhino to methods for dealing with human wildlife conflict.
Wildlife Research plays a key role in finding sustainable solutions for long term conservation.
Lion Research
Working together with Oxford WildCru Hwange Lion Research Project (Zimbabwe) and the Trans-Kalahari Predator Project (Botswana), the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust is researching the trans-frontier lion population of North West Zimbabwe. The areas of coverage include Zambezi and Kazuma National Parks as well as Matetsi Safari area. It is the goal of this project to determine numbers of this magnificent predator, as well as identify the corridors they use between different land use types and across trans-frontier, international borders. Click the button to Learn More:
Human-Wildlife Conflict: Predators
For a farmer in rural Zimbabwe, predators are a major source of contention. One lion or hyena can wreck havoc with a family’s entire livelihood in one night. TheVictoria Falls Wildlife Trust together with ZPWMA, Jafuta Foundation and Oxford WildCru Hwange Lion Research are working with the rural communities to evaluate conflict incidents, respond when there is a conflict and implement mitigation methods to deter wildlife from conflict with humans and their domestic animals. Click the button to Learn More:
Human-Wildlife Conflict: Elephants
The residents in and around Victoria Falls are used to seeing elephant in town throughout the year. However, over the last few years, the sheer number of elephant that are coming into the high density areas and some of the rural areas around town is unprecedented. As Victoria Falls continues to grow and develop, scientific research needs to show the areas that elephant utilize both in the urban and rural communities. These areas need to be considered for development plans. The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust collaborates with Connected Conservation to look at spatial movements of elephant around these areas, and employs mitigation techniques to alleviate conflict situations. Click the button to Learn More:
Rhino Conservation
Rhino populations are under threat worldwide due to the illegal wildlife trafficking of rhino horn. In Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust work with conservation stakeholders to assist in maintaining and growing the populations of both black rhino and southern white rhino. Every year the Trust ear notch new calves with their unique identification number, which helps anti-poaching scouts in locating individuals for security purposes. In some areas of the country we de-horn animals as an anti-poaching deterrent. All of these activities are in an effort to help conserve these majestic creatures. Click the button to Learn More:
Vulture Conservation
There are four species of vulture that are endemic to the North West region of Zimbabwe. Unfortunately all four species have recently been deemed as endangered or critically endangered. Vultures are facing challenges in their long term sustainability due to the number of poisoning and poaching incidents that have been on the rise in recent times. The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust have initiated research into a population numbers by species. Sadly we are seeing a rise in the number of sick and injured vultures that come in for rehabilitation. Therefore the Trust hope to be able to build a rehabilitation aviary for these cases in need of veterinary care and rehabilitation before they can be returned to the wild. A key focus of the conservation education program is vulture conservation and the plight of these iconic birds. We hope to teach people the important role vultures play in the ecosystem and gain their assistance in looking after these amazing creatures. Click the button to Learn More:
