This week, Peace Parks TV is in Zambia’s Simalaha Community Conservancy, tending to a wounded buffalo. Community scouts noticed his injury he must have sustained from a fight with another bull. Dr Brian Musala, a vet from the @Department of National Parks and Wildlife, is overseeing the operation, supported by Peace Parks Foundation’s Operations Manager Russell Smart, and the team in Simalaha. Buffaloes are known for their short tempers, and treating any wild animal must be done with the safety of both animal and people in mind. Quick responses and expert care are essential in these situations.
Fighting amongst bull buffaloes is a natural behaviour driven by survival and dominance in the herd, but wounds can be serious enough to threaten their lives. Together, the team tranquilizes the buffalo, gently treats his injured leg and administers anti-inflammatory medication for the pain. They also ensure that they clean the wound thoroughly; in the hot climate, and with plenty of flies, infection can set in quickly meaning that antibiotics are crucial to speed up the healing.
With everyone working together, the buffalo recovers from the sedative and manages to get back up on his feet to rejoin the herd; he has since made a full recovery. The team’s successful rescue mission highlights their dedication to protecting these mighty animals, and restoring the 1,800 km² of communal land in which they roam. Buffalo play an important role in keeping this ecosystem balanced and healthy as they graze vegetation and fertilise the soil. They are also significant in Simalaha’s development of a wildlife economy based on strong community ownership, generating local income to support livelihoods. As a magnificent member of the Big Five, the buffalo will add to the conservancy’s exciting tourism prospects, set to create local jobs and revenue to sustainconservation and community projects.
Partnerships have played a key role in these successes. Simalaha was officially established in 2012 through an agreement between the senior leadership of the two local chiefdoms. It was declared a wildlife conservancy to allow for conservation and management of the area and its natural resources, and to invest in community development – with nature-based tourism playing a significant part in this.
Peace Parks Foundation, through funding from the Swedish Postcode Lottery, MAVA Fondation pour la Nature (MAVA), COmON Foundation, and various other donors, has been working alongside the people of Simalaha since the beginning. The conservancy’s wildlife is now thriving thanks to these collaborative efforts, including an ambitious rewilding programme which introduced an astonishing 2,145 animals of 13 species. By 2021, 298 buffalo had been translocated to Simalaha, where herds are now breeding successfully in a landscape able to support them. This is particularly symbolic for the local Sisheke chiefdom, as they regard the buffalo as their totem animal. In years gone by, the chiefdom was responsible for defending their territory from invasion, and were given the totem animal of the buffalo, renowned for its fierceness and impressive defensive skills.
Peace Parks and the people of Simalaha can look forward to a flourishing future for these buffalo, as their health and protection remain a priority here.
Stay tuned to Peace Parks TV for more animal action!
