1992 - 1993

Conversations and initial meetings held on an action plan for the protection of the Lower Zambezi

  • CLZ is founded at the request of the Chieftainess in response to the death of two community members in the Chiawa GMA

     

  • Mario Kawayawaya (notorious cross-border poacher) becomes Education/Liason Officer educating the community and influencing them to conserve wildlife

1994

1995

CLZ gets its first vehicle from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to support the National Parks Wildlife Service (NPWS)

Big Boy, the largest elephant in the Lower Zambezi was hunted and killed

1996

1997

CLZ employs its first manager
(Derrek Gibbs)

 

  • CLZ secures essential funding from the Danish Embassy

  • CLZ obtains a plot on the Zambezi River and builds its first simple basecamp

1998

1999

CLZ obtains it’s first plane for aerial monitoring

 

CLZ signs its first formal MOU with ZAWA

2000

2001

CLZ Starts facilitating safari guides training and exams

CLZ commences work on new operations base (occupied in 2004)

2003

2004

CLZ starts its environmental education programme and first lady Maureen Mwanawasa officially opens CLZ’s EEP Centre at basecamp in 2005

 

CLZ now supports ZAWA with over 3,000 patrol man days, communications, transport, equipment, rations, training and technical advice

2005

2008

clz employs its first female ceo
(kerri rademeyer)

 

Lower Zambezi stakeholders and operators go from $100/month to $1,000/month for membership fees to support CLZ’s programmes

2009

2011

Anthrax outbreak and all lions inoculated against anthrax. The Lower Zambezi lost over 40 elephants

 

CLZ’s EEP student Rabson Tembo becomes second in command – operations manager of CLZ

2012

2013

  • CLZ Establishes a 20-man community scout unit to assist DNPW with wildlife protection and to assist communities with human-wildlife conflict

  • CLZ establishes a community engagement programme

  • Elephant poaching in the LZNP is the lowest on record

  • CLZ’s basecamp is extended with new management/staff accommodation

  • CLZ holds its first community sports day – Rubatano

2014

2015

  • CLZ launches its anti-snare awareness campaign in the community

  • CLZ’s new control room is built at basecamp and forward operating base built in the east of the park and manned

  • CLZ’s basecamp is solarised and now completely powered by the sun

  • CLZ switches to a more secure vhf digital radio system 

  • CLZ establishes an observation point on the highest peak of the escarpment

  • CLZ sets up a DNPW detection and tracking dog unit

2016

2017

  • CLz modernises its EEP through tablets with its conservation curriculum

  • CLZ employs a legal assistant and establishes a judicial support programme

  • CLZ establishes a ten-man rapid response unit

  • CLZ starts a fisheries and illegal wildlife trade project

  • CLZ now employs 58 staff (compared to 12 in 2011)

2018

2019

clz celebrates its 25 year anniversary

  • covid hit the world – lower zambezi hasn’t seen this little visitors since a long time

  • many operators affected by the halt of international tourism

  • clz managed to keep up all wildlife protection activities

 

2020

2021

  • Kufadza – the first all-female Community Scout unit in Zambia

  • Long-term Training Programme

 

  • Marine Unit

  • Chavululu Camp opened on the Eastern park boundary

 

2022

Marine Unit