OF ZAMBEZE
DELTA
schools, maize mills, building beehive
farms and agricultural projects that
help reduce slash-and-burn practices of
the habitat. “We’re trying to give them
incentives to stop clearing the land and
to plant in already open areas,” said
Cabela. “It’s working, and because of
that, the entire ecosystem is benefitting;
they’re discovering butterflies and
insects that have never been seen there.”
Anti-poaching has been stepped up
to ensure the safety of the lions, which
in turn has meant more jobs for locals.
Safari operations’ staff and anti-poaching
teams come from local communities;
many of which were poachers in the past.
Further, the meat from hunting (more
than 30 tons in 2017) has kept the locals
well fed, helping to eliminate the need for
subsistence poaching.
“The bushmeat trade is the primary
driver of poaching. We’ve been able
to significantly reduce it in the area
with these tactics,” said Cabela,
noting the team uses motorcycles and
helicopters to regularly canvas the
coutadas for poachers and traps. “You
can probably never get rid of it 100
percent, but we’ve been able to reduce
it significantly in Coutada 11 especially.”
With local buy in and a foundation of
wildlife conservation built throughout
the area, it was time to bring lions back
to the delta of the East African nation.
Rehoming 24 Lions
On August 5, 2018, the Cabela Family
Foundation, in partnership with the Ivan
Carter Wildlife Conservation Alliance,
Zambeze Delta Safaris and Marromeu
Safaris, in the largest move of lions
across an international boundary in
history, reintroduced 24 lions to the 2.5
million-acre habitat of the Zambeze
Delta in Mozambique.
The first step in the project was
to identify the South African lion
populations best suited for the process.
They had to be free-range, wild lions
of the same subspecies found in
The original 24 relocated lions were fitted
with GPS collars for research and monitor-
ing purposes, and will never be hunted.
8
SPORTSMEN’S MONTHLY
Of the greatest wildlife concerns
throughout Africa, poaching tops
the list and is the leading factor
pushing endangered species towards
extinction. For more than two decades,
Zambeze Delta Safaris has worked with
communities through civic engagement
and education to teach them to value
living wildlife, and therefore sustainable
conservation. The result has been the
rebounding of game animals. The same
model would be used for the lions.
“We spent time consulting with the
local communities about the arrival of
lions, listened to their concerns and
needs. They understand the impact and
are supportive of the move,” said Cabela.
Throughout the process, local
communities were made aware of
the plans so that their concerns and
suggestions could be implemented.
Communities that wanted to move
closer to the hunter-funded school and
clinic were provided free transportation.
Additionally, a bed tax goes to local
communities to sponsor projects like