Conserving Our Herds: The Great Herding To Ele Fest

The Conscious By The Game ranger Kempson Ari

@ZambiazHarshTag on the gram @ZambiazHandle 

Zambia is home to many other important wildlife populations which need our protection before it's too late. The EleFest and “Our Zambia Our Wildlife” song is a call to Zambia and the rest of the world to support conservation efforts and celebrate the people and organisations who are making an impact. Sending the message out to everyone that we are the generation with whom the responsibility lies: to report wildlife crime, reject illegal bushmeat, value our wilderness areas and support the wildlife police officers, men and women risking their lives on a daily basis to protect our wildlife.

Under the hasgtag #OurZambiaOurWildlife, the herds will gather on 14^th May for the second annual Ele-Fest. This years line up includes internationally acclaimed act Mokoomba who will no doubt have the herds stomping their feet to their infecious global rythms. Native acts also showing solidarity for the cause include Zambian songstress Maureen Lilanda, the talented songwriter, instrumentalist and live mavin James Sakala @JamesTSakala backed by the Elect Band @ElectBand, vocal sesnstion winner of the 2016 Best New Artist at the Mosi ZMA’s Wezi @Wezi_heartssound, the Lenshina crooner and winner of the 2016 Mosi ZMA for Best Live Recording Mumba Yahci @MumbaYachi and the indiginous Kapiri Mposhi 4.0. Also look out for new musical sensession Chembo Music @ChemboMusic who also joined the lineup slated to perform will be unleashing her new single Abena Mavis live on the Ele-Fest stage.

Zambia is home to a breathtaking diversity of rare wildlife and habitats. It is home to the world’s largest mammal migration (Straw Coloured Fruit Bats, Kasanka National Park), second largest wildebeest migration (Liuwa Plains National Park), one of the world’s most important African Wild Dog strongholds (Kafue National Park) and Lion strongholds (South Luangwa National Park). The tourism industry employs more than 80,000 people and contributes more than K9.2 billion to Zambia’s economy every year. There is a huge growth potential for this industry especially as it doesn’t rely directly on rain or copper prices. 

The elephant population of Zambia is one of the most significant in Africa but their numbers are threatened by ivory poaching and habitat loss. Experts have reported that 100 elephants are being killed every day in Africa. Elephants are killed for their ivory tusks, which are used for ornaments and medicine mostly in Asia. 

Zambia’s elephant population has reduced to a tenth of numbers which were reported 50 years ago. In the 1960s Zambia was home to approximately 250,000 elephants, whereas today estimates reach only around 21,000. Recent reports have congratulated the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and supporting conservation organisations in halting the rapid decline experienced in previous years but now the challenge is to continue to protect the remaining vulnerable populations from the ever-present threat of poaching.

As well as elephants, Zambia is also home to the most trafficked animal on the planet: the pangolin. It is illegal to capture or sell these animals and people found guilty of this offence can go to jail for 5 years. Our pangolin population is at threat. If you see anyone selling a pangolin, you should report it immediately to Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).

Wildlife is being killed in our national parks at alarming rates, the Big 5 and in-particular elephants and game such as impalas. The importance events like Ele Feast to fighting and curbing the vice of poaching and the eminent extinction of animals in the wild is crucial to the cause and also provides enlightenment to the masses. With over 144,000 elephants brutally murdered and lost to poaching, it is important for the herds to herd to Ele Fest and support the movement headed by Game Rangers International @GameRangersInt and supported by WWF @wwfzambia, the Department of National Park & Wildlife and the Ministry of Tourism & Arts. See you at the cause.

To find out more join the EleFest 2016 event on facebook, twitter and instagram. 
Doors open at midday on Saturday 14 May at the Lusaka Gymkhana Club. On the door: K150. Children under 12: Free.

Make it trend: #OurZambiaOurWildlife