CONSERVATION IN PRACTICE
Conservation in Zambia’s Game Management Areas is built on participation—across government, communities, conservation organizations, and licensed operators working together over time.
​
These landscapes sit between national parks and community lands. They are not isolated reserves, but working systems where wildlife and people coexist, and where long-term outcomes depend on how these areas are managed.
​
Epic Safaris operates within this system, contributing to how these landscapes are protected and sustained alongside local stakeholders.
.jpg)
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
Zambia’s Game Management Areas (GMAs) are legally designated, mixed-use conservation areas that buffer national parks. People live within them, but wildlife remains the primary land use under structured management.
​
Within this framework:
-
Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) sets quotas, regulations, and permits
-
Licensed concession operators manage concession activity and fund operations
-
Community Resource Boards (CRBs) represent local communities and share in benefits
-
Conservation organizations provide scientific, technical, and field support
​​
This structure allows wildlife to remain a viable land use across large, unfenced landscapes.
Where We Contribute
These elements are interconnected and essential to maintaining viable wildlife populations across these landscapes.
WHY THIS MODEL EXISTS
In many remote GMAs, year-round photographic tourism is limited by access, seasonal flooding, and low visitor volumes.
​
In these areas, regulated hunting provides a consistent source of funding that supports protection, employment, and community benefits—helping maintain these landscapes as wildlife habitat over time.
What the Science Shows
Research across multiple conservation landscapes shows that:
​
-
well-managed, low offtake hunting can maintain or improve wildlife populations by supporting habitat and protection efforts
-
conservation outcomes improve when communities receive tangible benefits, including jobs, food, and revenue
-
sustainable use—including regulated hunting—is recognized as a legitimate conservation tool when properly governed​​
THE SCALE OF ZAMBIA’S CONSERVATION SYSTEM
-
20 national parks + 36 GMAs
-
Roughly 30% of Zambia’s land area is in the country’s wildlife estate (parks + GMAs).
-
GMAs alone cover about 167,000 km² (≈ 22% of the country).
This is one of the largest intact conservation systems in Africa. It requires creativity and passionate participants to support it.
THE CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE
Work in these areas involves collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders, including:
​
-
Frankfurt Zoological Society & North Luangwa Conservation Programme
-
Musekese Conservation (Kafue system)
-
Zambian Carnivore Programme
-
African Parks and other NGO partners
-
Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW)
-
Community Resource Boards & Traditional Chiefs
-
Licensed Concession Operators
-
Private funding
​
Each plays a role in supporting wildlife protection, community stability, and long-term conservation outcomes.
Organizations Working Across These Landscapes
HOW DOES THIS SYSTEM WORK IN PRACTICE?
Conservation in these landscapes depends on continued participation—by government, communities, operators, and those who engage with these systems.
Each safari contributes to the ongoing presence required to sustain wildlife and the communities that live alongside it.
"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught." — Baba Dioum, Senegalese conservationist, 1968