Thursday, March 28, 2024

80 “Missing” Black Lechwes case takes a new Turn, Government Challenged to make ecological assessment report public

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Conservationist Nsama Learns has appealed to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Authority whose mandate is to protect Zambia’s wildlife species to make the ecological assessment report public for review on whether Langani and Kiwisoko private ranches in Chisamba and Kazungula are suitable for the habitation of the Black Lechwe.

And Ms Learns has further appealed to the department to permit interested parties to conduct independent assessments to verify if indeed the two establishments have the same ecological environment as that of the Bangweulu wetlands.

She said as conservationist whose objective is to Care for Nature, she is extremely worried and disturbed by the mention of Chisamba and Kazungula because these areas lie in ecological regions of Zambia that have been experiencing no to less rainfall due to climate change.

“We all know for sure that climate change affects healthy functioning of ecosystem therefore it will be relieving to see what safeguards have been recommended in the report in case of drought or heat waves because the specie in particular is semi aquatic and feeds on aquatic plants”, she said.

She said the Black Lechwe loves water and when threatened, they stand in deep water completely submerged leaving only their nostrils exposed.

Ms Learns said the Black Lechwes are good swimmers and they run faster in water than dry land which is why in the dry season they migrate for up-to 80 kilometers in search for flooded areas.

“Surely Zambians my concern is not from without, this is not just any other antelope like impala, Kudu, sitatunga, sessebe or water buck, we are looking at a one kind of rare breed which we can’t treat like flying ants’ inswa nangu inshunkonono which appear and disappear from nowhere! This is a IUCN Red List specie”, she added.

Ms Learns said she is spending sleepless nights wondering how the animals felt when they just arrived in the new habitat tired and exhausted from the long journey wondering whether they found water immediately.

“Remember the first time you left your parents, sisters and brothers to go on holiday, that grave feeling of loneliness or when you first shifted from the area where you grew up, how long it takes to adapt, days, months and years will pass but still your dreams will take you back where you grew up”, Ms Learns lamented.

“If anyone is feeling my pain and that of the 80 Lechwe you are welcome to read the report and visit their new home to ensure they are safe. As for now I will continue praying for their safety”, she added.

32 COMMENTS

  1. They sold them as goats to Saudi Arabia those dull pf thugs. Meanwhile Zambia men I get lots of complaints from your women that you don’t give felatio but expect it. Stop being greedy. My white wife is well satisfied and that translates into satisfied me

    • We need more nature lovers like Nsama. Or else, sooner than later, we will have to change the majority of our Zambian flag colour from green to yellow.

    • By yellow we could mean both the loss of nature, and the overgrowth of a certain race that is fast eroding our greens… aka mukula etc etc

    • Zed is being treated like the way Botswana was abused, over opening up hunting for it’s over populated elephants, by people from countries were they themselves eat there wild animals to exitinction. What exactly do these people want here in Africa kanshi? So this useless woman is just making noises to attract its masters to our lands. These same animals she is talking rubbish about are full in the zoos in Europe suffering snow, does she say shiit? No, why? If Idi.ot

    • Kekekekeke ati they slaughtered Lechwes and exported to Saudi Arabia as Zambian-goats!! Ba First lady was behind the goat deal, I am sure Saudi Arabia prepaid for goats.
      These PF awe sure ninama sha bantu.

    • Madam Nsama, let alone the habitat of the black lechwe, they don’t even care about the future of our human habitat in Lusaka. We all know about Forest 27 and those profiting from the same. These talks of climate change are just to appease foreign donors.

    • Luapula is a big place. Why does the black lechwe live only in the Bangweulu wetlands? Whn u vote for corruption, answers to such simple questions aren’t important.

  2. Ba Nsama wanted to make a name for herself but drew blanks and failed to excite the public. Looks like she has a hidden agenda against those game ranches.

    • @ Zambian 1mbecile

      As you are well informed, please enlighten us on why, how and because of “hidden agenda against those game ranches”.
      Otherwise, stick to your perennial arse l1cking and anointed one d1ck sucking.

    • @Zambian Citizen, there more patriotic Zambians than you will ever be. Corruption has taken way the little trust and hope your neighbors had in you.

    • @pompwe: Nsama failed lamentebly to prove her allegations. She was summoned by ZP and warned about spreading falsified information to the public. This corruption rubbish is all hot air from your backsides until you show us convictions in our Courts of law, not your biased media.

    • “…….until you show us convictions in our Courts of law, not your biased media….”

      What convictions for corruption can you have in lungus corrupt judiciary ?

      Maybe you mean the convictions like for the 48 mansions ?????

      Lungu and his gang just went in to capture and sell animals without notifying any conservationists or game keepers……like the thieves they are , they most likely went in the dead of night.

    • Silly @Zambian Citizen yes Ms Nsama has made a good name by being professional. Your lack of common sense and judgement is what is promoting corruption. For instance how; much was paid for the 80, how were they transported, how many are still alive. Roughly how many Black Lechwes do we have in Bangweulu wetlands.

    • The GRZ doesn’t need to notify conservationists on how to manage its wildlife. That’s why we have the ministry of tourism and ZAWA to do that. You want info on how much or how the game is managed, you can visit the ministry or the PS or minister himself, that’s what Nsama should have done. Using the media to attack a legitimate GRZ is method with a high failure rate!!

    • Look at this corrupt rat Zambia citizen …….ati we don’t have notifiy anyone when capturing animals ??????

      You take donner aid from conservation organisations , it is just the right thing to do to notify all stakeholders, you corrupt rats……

    • This thing called @Zambian Citizen is really corrupt, GRZ is just there to run the affairs on our behalf so don’t misleads us.

    • Her name is already made in the minds of upright people. Luapula can’t be all about corruption. There are good people there waiting to join hands wth good people from the rest of Zambia to put the country right.

    • Kalok

      These are the same PF thugs that see it as their god given right to hold citizens at bus stops and markets at ransom to extort money

  3. The problem is PF is lawless,prides in thuggery at all levels.Madam Learns,you are doing a great job in an environment where LOGIC,PROCEDURE,RULE OF LAW are consider inimical to those in leadership.We are in a scientific world and everything you have explained makes sense but sadly corruption and abuse of power makes our tourism Minister feel insulted to the extent of wishing to unleash police on you instead coming to reason with experts!!

  4. The animals should be returned back to there home immediately this is not good at all I feel for the animals too these PF people are now even stealing life away from animals.

  5. Zambians are cowards…when uncompromised technocrats try to stand their grounds on issues they know best, citizens rise and try to see fault in them….them who are trying to make rid of their ignorance…. She is trying to make you understand the gravity of shifting these animals from their habitat and you have already shrunk to your cocoon for fear of government….these Ministers are uneducated and have limited understanding of issues they preside over, and yet they make the final decisions over critical issues of which in most cases it turns out to be grave mistakes, purely because envelopes have been exchanged somewhere….. Charles Banda, Chitotela and Malupenga no nothing about animals….I know Malupenga is just a journalist… I doubt he would even know a good habitat for a dog…

  6. …..this colonial culture of pleasing fake bazungus in Zambia should come to an end….they control us too much even boosting of having access to whatever because of been linked to prominent persons in Government…. I wonder uko afuma Findlay ba Banda, Chitotela naba Malupenga ngati they can be allowed to even tame chickens… I doubt… The yes. Yes bwana should end bane…let what’s for Zambia be enjoyed by Zambians……those animals won’t survive long in their new environment, and this will be the excuse, they will all be slaughtered,ati game meat…and who will buy that meat if not shared among themselves…. And in the end who is the loser if not Zambians…. ..they were more safe and easy to control revenue from where they were, than where they have been taken… Coz who…

  7. ….. monitors and account for their revenue in their new habitat, Findlay and his son….and you think he will declare truthfully how much he will be generating from his catch?? We Zambians are docile and damn! They have finished our minerals, our mukula trees and now our animals and we dwii…even condemning those who are trying to open our eyes! Its a curse to be Zambian …..tuli mbuma sana…

  8. Produce all documentation, you are servants of the people in case you forget. Mwanakatwe’s receipt, amount paid, all clearance documents

  9. These animals will soon be shot dead by American safari hunters at $24,000 each. They’ve not been captured for restocking, by Christmas they all be dead and somebody would walk away with a whiff of Dollars. So there’s no need to produce your report madam Learns.

  10. Belive me when i say there is wanton looting of game animals by lungu and his gang…..

    Those SA registered trucks chased from mfuwe are no isolated incidence……

    I know of an agent for a game auction company in SA who says any amounts of any animals can be bought from Zambia for the right price…..

    Only the vigilance of the local population and chiefs can save Zambias wildlife from broke lungu and his gang….

  11. Information of the nature of public property MUST be easily accessible to all the citizens. There is nothing secret about translocating. Let’s have the information so we can scrutinize as CITIZENS and decide what went down. We should also be allowed to obtain legal permission to go and visit those destinations for the targeted wildlife so we can VERIFY for ourselves. You are but custodians; you are not OWNERS of the country and its affairs. Mwe ma saka mwe!

  12. Ms Learns

    I’m so impressed that we do actually have such powerful, strong women in our country.

    This lady deserves our support and protection. U are a great woman.

    I wish I could marry such a lady to put me in place.

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