From Liuwa to Kafue: Zambia’s largest wildlife relocation in decades!

The Zambian Ministry of Tourism (MoT), through the Department of National Parks & Wildlife (DNPW), in partnership with the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) and African Parks Network (APN), has announced one of the largest wildlife translocations in Zambia’s recent history.
In a landmark conservation effort, 1,650 wildebeest and 300 zebras will be moved from Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP) to the vast Kafue National Park (KNP). This ambitious project aims to restore biodiversity, strengthen ecosystems, and boost conservation-based tourism in one of Zambia’s most iconic wildlife destinations.
Covering 22,400 km² in central-western Zambia, Kafue National Park is part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the largest transboundary conservation area in the world. Once home to immense herds of wildlife, Kafue National Park has suffered population declines over the decades. This translocation is the latest in a series of strategic rewilding steps, following the successful reintroduction of the endangered Kafue lechwe in June 2024.
By introducing wildebeest and zebra from Liuwa Plain National Park, conservationists aim to re-establish natural grazing patterns, support predator populations, and restore ecological balance across Kafue National Park's diverse habitats.
Liuwa Plain National Park, spanning 336,000 hectares of Western Zambezian Grasslands, is a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site with one of Africa’s oldest conservation legacies. Managed by African Parks for more than 20 years, Liuwa Plain National Park is home to Africa’s second-largest wildebeest migration and over 300 bird species.
Thanks to sustained protection and community collaboration, wildlife numbers in Liuwa Plain National Park have flourished - making it a vital source for restoring populations elsewhere in Zambia.
In a reciprocal move, 50 Lichtenstein’s hartebeest - absent from Liuwa Plain National Park for over three decades - will be reintroduced from the Mulobezi Game Management Area. This will help rebuild a balanced herbivore community in Liuwa Plain National Park, enhancing its ecological integrity and tourism appeal.

 

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