Biodiversity Conservation

Over the past 20 years, Liuwa Plain National Park has seen the restoration of its conservation legacy. Through the development of an effective conservation law enforcement team and close collaboration with community leaders, wildlife population numbers have stabilised and begun to grow. 

A growing population of wildebeest, as well as thriving eland and buffalo, are indicators of a stable system. Liuwa hosts the second-largest wildebeest migration in Africa, is a stronghold for hyaena, cheetah, and lion, and provides a sanctuary for over 357 bird species. 

The extraordinarily diverse birdlife includes many rare and migratory species, and globally important populations of storks, cranes and other water birds. Africa’s entire population of black-winged pratincoles cross through the park between June and December on their way from northern Europe to their winter sites mainly in South Africa.

Lion numbers have grown to a population of roughly 20 individuals since introductions first began, and several healthy litters have been produced over the years. 

The wild dog pack, which was originally reintroduced to the park in 2022, split into two distinct packs during 2024. While no pups were successfully raised, the formation of the two packs offers new opportunities for breeding success in the future. The fluctuating dynamics within the wild dog population remain an area of close observation as their long-term viability in the park is assessed.

In collaboration with the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP), African Parks tracks lion living in Liuwa, closely monitoring the development of the population. Liuwa is home to a large number of hyaena clans, most of which are monitored regularly. 

Almost 100 tracking collars – both satellite and VHF – have been fitted on a range of different species, including eland, hyaena and cheetah. 

Liuwa Plain is an example of how park management teams can work in partnership with communities through effective conservation law enforcement to reduce illegal activities, such as unsustainable and unlawful resource harvesting. This goes a long way in creating a broader environment of security for communities living in and around the park.

However, the impact of agriculture inside the park remains a challenge with the expansion of rice fields and deforestation to create space for farming. African Parks has investigated mechanisms to mitigate this by raising awareness and education around sustainable agriculture. One such project is the traditional fishing permit system, where the Silalo Indunas (area chiefs) provide permits to community members to fish in allocated pools. The 14-day fishing permit allows local people to fish in the park’s waters while a general permit is given out for harvesting of other natural resources for own consumption. In this way, illegal fishing is curbed and resources are protected for the local communities.

The conservation law enforcement team has grown to 83 well-trained, locally employed rangers patrolling by vehicle, motorbike, boat, and on foot.