Save the wildlife of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

A Crisis in Nature

Due to the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of illegal poaching has risen immensely in and around Victoria Falls. The wildlife populations are under threat and this has not only been made apparent during lockdown, it was evident before the global pandemic. Human populations in Africa are estimated to double by 2050, and we have to find sustainable long-term solutions to safeguard the wildlife amidst this human population increase.

We need to find ways to keep wildlife and their habitats connected despite the fragmented landscapes, increasing human settlements, and pressure to utilize the same natural resources as our wildlife. With the everlasting economic downturns, the wildlife will be targeted on a scale that will have us look back and wonder why we did nothing.

WITA: Who are we?

The ‘Wildlife Initiative Trust Africa’ (WITA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife protection and preservation and was formed to eliminate the wildlife poaching crisis. Located in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, WITA currently operates in the Zambezi and Victoria Falls National Park, which host no less than 20 species that are marked as critically endangered (CR), vulnerable (VU) or endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species. This includes Elephant, Lion, African Wild Dog, Temminicks Pangolin, Leopard and Giraffe in the surrounding National Parks and Rhino in a nearby private reserve.

What does WITA aim to achieve?

WITA is raising funds to implement a K9 antipoaching unit which will include tracker and detection dogs to conserve all animal species surrounding this area of significance. The key roles of this K9 unit in the fight against wildlife crime include; tracking down poachers, as well as detecting and recovering wildlife products, illegal weapons and ammunition. These efforts of our unit will work to effectively disrupt and eradicate wildlife crime, helping safeguard both the animals and their habitats in the Victoria Falls area and beyond.

Help us preserve these magnificent animals by funding our K9 unit today.

How can you help?

Help WITA fund their much needed K9 anti-poaching team and operation. WITA estimates its fully functional K9 unit to cost roughly $100,000 for its first year of operation.

Each and every donation counts.

For those who wish to donate equipment, please contact us directly to find out how you can assist with our below our ‘Wishlist’ of necessary items for us to conduct our K9 operations efficiently:

- 4x4 Vehicles

- Spare tyres for 4x4 vehicles

- The construction of Dog Kennels

- Vehicle and hand held radio systems

- GPS’s

- Garmin GPS collars

- Binoculars

- Laptops

- First Aid Kits

- Metal Detector

- Dog Box for vehicles

- Torches

- Ranger and Dog handler uniforms

- Dog Food Sponsor

- Dog handler insurance

For more information please contact:

Shaun Read : [email redacted]

WE ARE WITA: PROTECTING THOSE WHO CAN’T PROTECT THEMSELVES