A core aspect of our work is law enforcement support, where we provide DNPW’s Investigation and Intelligence Units with essential resources, equipment, and capacity-building initiatives. By strengthening intelligence-led operations, we help dismantle networks involved in wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, and other environmental crimes. Our efforts extend beyond Zambia, working alongside regional partners to combat cross-border wildlife crime.

In the wildlife criminal justice sector, we collaborate closely with DNPW, NPA, and the judiciary to monitor wildlife and environmental crime cases, ensuring that perpetrators are prosecuted effectively and that sentences reflect the severity of these crimes. Upholding human rights standards and reducing recidivism remain priorities, as we seek to balance justice with fair legal processes. By improving legal frameworks and case tracking, we contribute to a justice system that acts as a strong deterrent against illegal activities.

Public awareness is key to long-term conservation success, and our communications work is dedicated to educating Zambians about the impact of wildlife and environmental crimes. Through targeted campaigns, media engagement, and outreach initiatives, we highlight the threats facing Zambia’s biodiversity and the broader economic and social consequences of environmental crime. We are also committed to fostering inclusion by supporting women and youth in conservation, ensuring that diverse voices play an active role in protecting our natural heritage.

A well-informed approach to conservation requires accurate data and evidence-based strategies. Our situational analysis and special projects focus on improving knowledge around wildlife and environmental crime trends and their impact on conservation and law enforcement. By studying issues such as rhino horn trade, bushmeat consumption, big cat and pangolin poaching and trafficking, we provide vital insights that shape policy and operational responses. Our special projects also include pangolin rehabilitation and release, where we work alongside DNPW to rescue and care for live pangolins seized from traffickers, rehabilitating them before safely returning them to the wild.

Recognising that wildlife crime is not confined by national borders, WCP is part of regional collaboration efforts under Alinea, a platform that strengthens interdisciplinary partnerships across Southern Africa. By equipping organisations and individuals with the training and resources needed to combat environmental crime, we help build a more coordinated and effective response to transnational wildlife trafficking.

One of our most significant initiatives is our pangolin rehabilitation and release programme, developed in partnership with DNPW. Since pangolins are often recovered alive from traffickers, they require medical care and rehabilitation before being released. Our facility provides treatment for malnourished or injured pangolins, with post-release monitoring ensuring their survival and contributing to our understanding of their behaviour and distribution in the wild.

Through these combined efforts, WCP is making a tangible impact in protecting Zambia’s wildlife and ecosystems. Our work not only helps disrupt illegal activities but also strengthens conservation policies, raises public awareness, and ensures that future generations inherit a thriving natural environment.