Greetings!
If you’ve ever felt the mist of Victoria Falls on your skin or watched a sunset on the beautiful Zambezi River, you’ll already know this: Zambezi National Park is a place of extraordinary beauty. Just upriver from the world-famous Victoria Falls, this magical part of the world has both jaw-dropping scenery — and is also incredibly wildlife-rich. Few parks anywhere have won nature’s lottery quite like this one.
This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in protecting Zambezi National Park. Forming a vital part of the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) — the largest connected ecosystem in Africa — the park hosts an exceptional diversity of wildlife; from elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, hyenas, and wild dogs to hundreds of bird species.
But while its wildlife, rivers, forests, and grasslands are awe-inspiring, this landscape is fragile. The park is under immense pressure, and so are the dedicated rangers who protect it. Limited resources, lack of equipment, and insufficient training make it difficult to respond to threats like poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal resource use. Without adequate support, these frontline heroes face immense challenges every day.
This Giving Tuesday, your gift can help us make a real difference — protecting wildlife, supporting rangers, and safeguarding one of Africa’s most treasured places.
With your support, we can double our impact with an $18,000 matched giving fund from a private donor! That means that for every gift you make today, the donor will match your donation, and it will go twice as far to protect Zambezi National Park.
Below are the key areas we are actively focusing on to strengthen protection, enhance efficiency, and safeguard the wildlife and habitats of Zambezi National Park:
1. Building Ranger Capacity
Rangers receive hands-on training that prepares them for every challenge in the field — from patrol techniques and tactical tracking to wildlife protection, first aid, and safety protocols. Senior rangers also gain leadership and management skills, while ongoing mentorship ensures that what they learn is put into practice, making every patrol safer, smarter, and more effective.
“I now know how to give first aid in the field, and I’ve learned how to properly treat a snake bite.” — Denzel Junior Ndlovu,
Zimbabwe National Parks Ranger
WATCH BELOW: Hear from Denzel Junior Ndlovu, a ranger serving in the Zambezi National Park, as he shares how the capacity-building training empowered him and exceeded his expectations.
We selected women who were already weavers but were eager to refine and expand their skills. The training broadened their range of products so as to helping them reach new markets, and introduced weaving with sisal – a sustainable, locally available material that, when cultivated for weaving, also helps prevent soil erosion in the drought-prone areas around Victoria Falls.
How your donation helps:
- USD 150 helps fund training, mentorship, and essential ranger equipment that keeps rangers safe and effective.
- USD 1,000 sponsors one ranger for a full month of intensive training.
2. Construction of the Operations Block
To strengthen ranger efficiency and coordination, we are constructing a state-of-the-art Operations Block within the Zambezi National Park. This hub will centralize communication, securely store vital field data, monitor patrol coverage, and support seamless handovers between teams.
WATCH BELOW: Hear from Marvellous Mbikiyana, the Senior Area Manager for Zambezi and Victoria Falls National Parks, as he explains how the new Operations Room will strengthen protection efforts across the park.
3. Conservation Technology Integration
Technology is transforming conservation in Zambezi National Park. GPS-based patrol planning, camera traps, and centralized dashboards allow rangers to track wildlife, monitor threats, and respond with precision. Equally important is collaboration — working closely with local communities, law enforcement, and tourism partners ensures that intelligence flows efficiently, human-wildlife conflict is mitigated, and communities become active partners in protection.
How will your donation help?
- USD 1,500 purchases a radio for secure digital communications.
- USD 5,000 funds a solar backup system, ensuring uninterrupted operations day and night.
- USD $ 8,000 can upgrade radio towers, strengthen satellite communication infrastructure within the park, and support the purchase of camera traps and other essential digital communication devices.
4. Community and Inter-agency Collaboration:
Collaboration is a key component of our work. The core of this project involves securing the Zambezi River corridor, Zambezi National Park, and the greater Victoria Falls ecosystem. By strengthening coordination among park management, law enforcement, tourism operators, and local communities, we create a united front to reduce poaching, protect wildlife habitats, prevent fires, and enhance biodiversity.
These efforts safeguard one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders — Victoria Falls — and ensure ecological connectivity across the wider KAZA landscape so wildlife can move freely and thrive.
WATCH BELOW: Below I share why protecting the Zambezi River corridor, Zambezi National Park, and the greater Victoria Falls landscape is urgently needed this Giving Tuesday.
Your support can go further than ever. Donate today, double your impact — and together, we can safeguard this incredible landscape.
For Wild Africa,
Jessica Dawson
CEO
VICTORIA FALLS WILDLIFE TRUST
PO Box 159, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | +263 782 799 006
PO Box 23183, San Diego, CA 92193 | 619-602-1725
9 The Clock Tower, Redlers Waterside, Dudbridge Rd., Stroud GL5 3LH, UK
+44 (0)74 76 227 684
Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust | PO Box 23183 | San Diego, CA 92193 US
