Day 10: Lower Zambezi National Park

Picture 1: Meeting with the local rangers

Picture 2: William Soko, Operations Manager of Lower Zambezi National Park and graduate of the SAWC

Picture 3: Exchanging experiences and struggles regarding anti-poaching

Picture 4: Informal discussion with Johan Oelofse

Picture 5: 50/50 interview with Brian Haveman, Conservation Director of WESA

Picture 6: A glimpse of the beauty of the park

Picture 7: Johan Oelofse fly-fishing

Picture 8: Boat cruise on the Zambezi River

Picture 9: Buffalo at Mana Pools

Picture 10: Elephants next to the river

Picture 11: Herd of elephants crossing the dry river bed

Today was another amazing day next to the Zambezi River at Lower Zambezi National Park. To see the local rangers from Lower Zambezi and Mana Pools National Parks engage in conversation with our team was very exciting, as they shared experiences, struggles and solutions, but also learned from one another. When the local rangers engage in these discussions with enthusiasm it is clear that this outreach has been long overdue!

A few rangers from Mana Pools in Zimbabwe joined us from across the Zambezi as well. The senior ranger said that his biggest dream for their team is to have 2 GPS’s, so that he can accurately log incidents such as areas where poaching occurs, to locate his colleagues in the field, but also to simply see the full extent of this vast National Park.

We were also fully briefed on the Lower Zambezi National Park and also on the NGO, "Conservation Lower Zambezi", and the work they do here for conservation.

During the afternoon we went for a short boat cruise on the Zambezi River and some fly-fishing.

Tomorrow we will have an early start and we were warned that the roads we are to encounter, are the worst so far!