The return of lions to Nsumbu National Park

On the 18th of September three lions were successfully translocated to Nsumbu National Park from North Luangwa by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and the Nsumbu Tanganyika Conservation Programme (NTCP), with technical support from the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP). The NTCP is a long-term partnership between DNPW and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS).

This significant milestone comes after years of ecosystem recovery, careful planning, and engagement with key stakeholders. After a successful operation in North Luangwa, the three lions (two females from the same pride and a male from a different pride) were transferred to Nsumbu National Park by plane. A short welcoming ceremony allowed local stakeholders, including Senior Chief Nsama, to witness the arrival. The lions are now settling into a holding enclosure where they will remain until adequately bonded and acclimatised. They will then be released into the national park.

A trained team is closely monitoring the lions to understand their behaviour, interactions, and health – building foundations for successful long-term monitoring in the wild. The three individuals have satellite tracking collars fitted, allowing the team to follow their movements and ensure appropriate management post-release.

Lions play a critical role in the natural functioning of ecosystems and are a key tourism attraction. The NTCP has supported the recovery of the landscape, through an integrated approach to resource protection, community engagement and ecological monitoring – creating and measuring conservation impact.

The return of the apex predator is the culmination of close collaboration and strong partnerships at every step. Extensive engagement and dialogue with local communities, Government and partners has been crucial to the success of Nsumbu National Park. Prior to the translocation, this engagement extended to North Luangwa with traditional leadership proud of their position to contribute to the recovery of another Zambian ecosystem. More than just restoring biodiversity, lions have cultural significance in and around Nsumbu with the Nsama Chiefdom Royal Clan name being “Abashimba” (the Clan of the Lion). The opportunity to reconnect with these cultural ties has strengthened ownership and commitment by the people of the area to participate in this journey.

This lion reintroduction is in line with Zambia’s 8th National Development Plan with its pledge to support the revamping of the nature-based tourism sector in the Northern circuit, as well as the country’s Lion Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. Nsumbu National Park is critical in the wider landscape: it includes part of Lake Tanganyika, offering outstanding conservation and tourism potential. The return of lions has already driven livelihood benefits through direct employment, with over 100 jobs created in the local community.

The long-term support of key donors including the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund, the Wyss Foundation, the Wildcat Foundation, the Katz Family Foundation, GIZ, JRS Biodiversity Fund, Save the Elephants, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has been critical in enabling ecosystem recovery and the lion reintroduction to Nsumbu National Park.

A technical committee of experts, coordinated by DNPW’s Research and Veterinary Unit, has carefully planned the lion reintroduction following international best practice, including a reintroduction plan and road map. In line with this plan, ensuring that the ecosystem and the predator prey base is adequately recovered to support lions has been a priority. Ecological monitoring has been conducted since 2020 to track ecosystem restoration. In June 2021, 200 buffalo and 48 zebras were successfully translocated to Nsumbu National Park from North Luangwa, to boost the remnant populations in the area. With this translocation and the ongoing bolstered conservation efforts, monitoring results show that potential prey species for lion occur widely in Nsumbu National Park and Tondwa Game Management Area at moderate to high densities, and are adequate to support a recovering lion population.

The Nsumbu Tanganyika Conservation Programme (NTCP) is a long-term partnership between the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife. Within the Nsumbu-Mweru landscape the NTCP works with multiple partners including the Nsama Community Resource Board and Conserve Global’s Tondwa Conservation Limited.