CSL & Sungani: Rapid Response for People & Wildlife

For the fourth year running, Sungani has pledged an incredible $25,000 to match donations to Conservation South Luangwa (CSL), giving us the opportunity to raise $50,000 for conservation in South Luangwa.

This year, the campaign will support CSL’s Human-Wildlife Conflict Rapid Response Unit (RRU) – a specialist frontline team working around the clock to protect people, livelihoods and wildlife when conflict occurs.

Since beginning work in the remote south of South Luangwa in 2019, the Davy family and Sungani team have made conservation an integral part of their commitment to the landscape. Their long-standing partnership with CSL has provided vital support for wildlife protection and human-wildlife coexistence, alongside practical and logistical support for conservation operations in this remote part of the National Park.

This year, Sungani’s support will help tackle one of the most complex challenges facing conservation in South Luangwa today: how people and growing wildlife populations can safely share the same landscape.

Human-Wildlife Conflict in South Luangwa

The Luangwa Valley is home to an estimated 14,000 elephants – more than 80% of Zambia’s elephant population. The recovery and protection of this population is a major conservation success, but for communities living alongside the National Park, sharing space with wildlife can come at a significant cost.

In 2025, CSL recorded 980 human-wildlife conflict incidents across seven Chiefdoms bordering the eastern boundary of the South Luangwa National Park. Elephants were responsible for 79% of these incidents.

For families dependent on small-scale farming, a single night of elephant crop-raiding can destroy months of work and a significant proportion of a household’s food and income. Wildlife conflict can also result in serious injury and loss of life. Without effective support, repeated losses can understandably erode tolerance for wildlife and increase pressure for animals to be removed or killed.

This is where the Rapid Response Unit comes in.

The Human-Wildlife Conflict Rapid Response Unit

Established by CSL and Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife in 2021, the RRU was Zambia’s first dedicated rapid response team for human-wildlife conflict.

Three rotating teams maintain 24/7 response capacity, operating two dedicated vehicles across approximately 4,725 km² and seven Chiefdoms surrounding South Luangwa National Park.

When a report comes through the dedicated Human-Wildlife Conflict Hotline, the team assesses the situation and, where needed, deploys to the affected community. Often working at night, RRU teams use practical, predominantly non-lethal deterrents including vehicle pressure, spotlights, noise and chilli-based methods to move elephants and other dangerous wildlife away from homes, fields and villages before situations escalate.

During peak periods, teams can also spend several days stationed in conflict hotspots, responding to repeated incidents and supporting communities through periods of particularly intense wildlife pressure.

In 2025 alone, the RRU received 1,191 reports and made 554 field deployments, 440 of which involved elephants. Its two vehicles travelled approximately 47,000 kilometres responding to communities across the landscape.

But the RRU’s role goes well beyond moving wildlife.

When people are injured during wildlife incidents, the team's vehicles frequently provide emergency transport from remote communities to medical facilities. More than 100 people have been assisted with medical transport since the RRU was established, including 31 people in 2025 alone.

The team also works closely with communities, traditional leaders and local conservation structures to provide practical advice, improve communication and build trust. Every incident is recorded, helping CSL understand where and when conflict is occurring and adapt our response accordingly.

Donate today and Sungani will match your gift, dollar for dollar.

Until 31 December, every donation to this campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Sungani, up to a total of $25,000. Your donation will go twice as far in helping keep people safe, protect livelihoods and give elephants and other wildlife the space to remain wild.

Find out more at www.sungani.com and www.cslzambia.org

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