Zambian Carnivore Programme

Founded in 1998, the programme seeks to conserve Zambia’s large carnivores  – cheetahs, African wild dogs, lions, leopards, and hyenas – through four key pillars: science, action, coexistence, and strengthening of local leadership 

ZCP’s approach is founded on in-depth scientific research into the ecology and behaviour of carnivores, as well as the social, ecological, and economic factors affecting their conservation. This science guides conservation action, working with partners and communities to directly address identified threats and develop long-term, sustainable solutions for carnivore recovery and coexistence.

But people are also at the heart of ZCP’s work, with their empowerment initiatives focusing on the training, mentorship, and leadership programmes that help nurture the next generation of Zambian conservationists. 

In 2011, ZCP launched a long-term cheetah and wild dog programme across the Greater Kafue Ecosystem – a vast landscape spanning over 65,000km² – with lions added to the programme in 2012. Now, NatureSpy is proud to support ZCP's ongoing efforts to conserve the fastest animal on land, and Zambia’s most endangered large carnivore: the cheetah.

Cheetahs are Zambia’s most threatened large carnivore, with only two confirmed resident breeding populations remaining in the country. It is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, and is declining across most of Africa.

They are notoriously elusive and range across enormous distances. ZCP have recorded females with home ranges exceeding 1,000 km², while non-territorial "floater" males can roam across more than 2,500 km². Add naturally low population densities to that, and finding and monitoring individual cheetahs across the Greater Kafue Ecosystem becomes a serious challenge.

The solution lies in cheetah behaviour. Cheetahs repeatedly return to the same trees to communicate with one another through scent marking. In a landscape this vast, those trees are fixed points where cheetahs reappear.

By positioning trail cameras at known scent-marking trees, ZCP can capture repeat visits from individual cheetahs and build a clearer picture of where cheetahs persist and how the population is faring. This information reveals where cheetahs are thriving – or struggling – helping guide conservation action across the landscape.

Cheetahs are a tremendously difficult species to monitor, given their low densities and vast home ranges, thus the ZCP team needed trail cameras that would stand the test of time. By providing Helarctos Solar trail cameras, we are offering the best chance of capturing clear, high quality imagery. 

Powered by the sun, these solar cameras are well suited for the Zambian weather, surviving in the wild for 8+ months at a time. The high-quality images collected by the Helarctos model ensures the team can identify individuals by their unique spot patterns, helping to monitor population size and behaviour. 

NatureSpy is proud to support ZCP through the donation of these cameras and by providing technical support for their monitoring efforts.