ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARKS SUPPORT GROUP

Thirsty Elephants

From : Trevor Lane, Friends of Victoria Falls

A support group has been formed of persons who are keen to help in assisting the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority in rebuilding the Zambezi National Park to it’s original condition and status. A start has been made by reviving Borehole No 1 in the Chamabonda.
We need to identify where we feel NPWLMA need assistance, what we would like to see enacted in the Park, and meet with the local NPWLMA officers to assess their requirements, and where and how we can operate together, for the benefit of the Park and the community.
There has been discussions on what the support group feel are the requirements for assistance in the ZNP. These requirements are :

1.  Restoration and operation of all three boreholes in the Chamabonda
2.  Restoring the Hide at No 3
3.  To survey the Chamabonda to see if loop roads, especially to pools on the Chamabonda River, can be put in.
4.  A burning/ fire management program for the whole park ( Drew?)
5.  A breakdown from Parks as to what camp sites/lodge sites have been allocated in the ZNP, and a meeting with them on sites for locals, future allocations, local inputs, etc
6.  Roads – it is felt this is above the means of the support group
7.  Parks welfare and assistance eg TM currently donates to patrol rations for Parks. More support and Parks requirements needed.
8.  To support VFAPU where possible.
9.  To support members where their activities may be beneficial to assisting Parks in the maintenance, monitoring and control of the Park.

As mentioned, we have already made a start, with Chamabonda No 1 borehole in operation ( buffalo, eland, lion, hyena, kudu, sable, zebra, elephant already recorded drinking here ). An initial list of volunteers/supporters is attached, and we will be getting together shortly to work out programs, rosters etc. We will also shortly be calling a meeting with National Parks to establish our joint working relationship.
Any additional volunteers would be welcomed – to contact Yvonne Jandles or Tonya Meikle.