Shinganda Wildlife Wilderness

Approximately 50km north-west of Kafue National Park, Shinganda covers 200km2 of uninhabited wilderness, linked by wildlife habitats to the national park. As an open-ecosystem conservancy site, Shinganda forms an integral part of the conservation network in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, providing essential habitat for wide-roaming carnivores and herbivores. The team at Shinganda provide monitoring and protection 365 days a year for the wildlife that utilises this area.

Founded in 2001, Shinganda’s aim is to ensure the vitally important conservation area is monitored and protected, to enable wildlife to move freely across the landscape.

To do this, Shinganda has a year-round wildlife conservation monitoring programme through their Shinganda Scout anti-poaching foot patrols. Their work over the past two decades has been successful in reducing poaching pressures, resulting in wildlife numbers bouncing back.

Over the last 15 years, trail cameras have been used to monitor the wildlife that move through the area, most recently documenting the use of internal road systems by large carnivores. Their surveys discovered just how important the safe refuge is when they recorded painted dogs, spotted hyenas and leopards, alongside a vast array of other mammals on the cameras. 

Moving forward, they have 3 goals:

1. Improve their understanding of herbivore populations, to learn about the relationship between predator and prey in the area.

2. Understand seasonal patterns of wildlife, with a focus on hippopotamus in the rainy season.

3. Expand their monitoring area to build a clearer picture of how wildlife uses the landscape.

NatureSpy have been working in partnership with Shinganda since 2019, supporting the project with their trail camera surveys to build knowledge of wildlife presence and monitor potential hotspots for poachers. Our support has included the provision of trail cameras, accessories for camera security against inquisitive claws and jaws, and technical support.

Continuing to work together in 2026, we are supplementing the team’s trail camera collection with Browning Recon Force Elite HP5 Ultra’s, Shinganda’s top choice for monitoring in the field. With super sharp image quality, these cameras allow the team to identify individuals across their range, most notably the unique differences in coat pattern on painted dogs.