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Expanding Community-Led Conservation Across Zimbabwe's TFCAs
7 July 2026
Wildlife Conservation Action is a Zimbabwean conservation organization working to reduce human-wildlife conflict by empowering communities to coexist with wildlife. Through community-based approaches, we support local people living in Transfrontier Conservation Areas to protect both livelihoods and biodiversity while promoting sustainable conservation.
Twenty-eight new Community Guardians completed training, marking the largest single intake cohort since the program began. Drawn from Nyaminyami, Mbire, and Binga districts, the Community Guardians will strengthen efforts to promote peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife across three provinces, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland West, and Mashonaland Central. The expansion strengthens community-based conservation within two of Zimbabwe's Transfrontier Conservation Areas, with Binga and Nyaminyami forming part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, while Mbire falls within the Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Twenty-eight new Community Guardians completed training, marking the largest single intake cohort since the program began. Drawn from Nyaminyami, Mbire, and Binga districts, the Community Guardians will strengthen efforts to promote peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife across three provinces, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland West, and Mashonaland Central. The expansion strengthens community-based conservation within two of Zimbabwe's Transfrontier Conservation Areas, with Binga and Nyaminyami forming part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, while Mbire falls within the Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Community Guardians play a vital role in reducing human-wildlife conflict. As trusted members of their communities, they are often the first point of contact when conflict occurs, helping report incidents, raise awareness of wildlife safety, encourage the adoption of non-lethal conflict mitigation measures, and strengthen communication between communities and conservation practitioners. Their presence enables communities to respond to conflict more effectively while reducing risks to both people and wildlife.
The expansion of the program comes at a time when evidence continues to demonstrate the value of community-led conservation. In Nyaminyami District, retaliatory killings of lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, and hippos declined by 14 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, from 28 recorded cases in 2024 to 24 in 2025. The reduction reflects growing community participation in conservation efforts and increased adoption of alternative responses to human-wildlife conflict.
The five-day training equipped participants with practical knowledge and skills in human-wildlife conflict mitigation, wildlife monitoring, community engagement, data collection, and reporting. Through interactive classroom sessions and field-based practical exercises, participants gained the tools needed to support safer communities while contributing to wildlife conservation.
"This is the largest group of Community Guardians we have trained since the program began. Expanding the program across Nyaminyami, Mbire, and Binga means we are strengthening conservation efforts across three districts and three provinces, while increasing our impact within Zimbabwe's Transfrontier Conservation Areas. By equipping more local people with the skills to respond to human-wildlife conflict, we are building a stronger foundation for long-term coexistence between communities and wildlife," said Simbarashe Chatikobo, Senior Program Officer.
As the Community Guardians program continues to grow, local communities remain at the heart of conservation efforts. By empowering people who live alongside wildlife with the knowledge and skills to prevent and manage conflict, the program helps create safer communities, protect wildlife, and strengthen the long-term resilience of Zimbabwe's Transfrontier Conservation Areas.
The expansion of the program comes at a time when evidence continues to demonstrate the value of community-led conservation. In Nyaminyami District, retaliatory killings of lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, and hippos declined by 14 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, from 28 recorded cases in 2024 to 24 in 2025. The reduction reflects growing community participation in conservation efforts and increased adoption of alternative responses to human-wildlife conflict.
The five-day training equipped participants with practical knowledge and skills in human-wildlife conflict mitigation, wildlife monitoring, community engagement, data collection, and reporting. Through interactive classroom sessions and field-based practical exercises, participants gained the tools needed to support safer communities while contributing to wildlife conservation.
"This is the largest group of Community Guardians we have trained since the program began. Expanding the program across Nyaminyami, Mbire, and Binga means we are strengthening conservation efforts across three districts and three provinces, while increasing our impact within Zimbabwe's Transfrontier Conservation Areas. By equipping more local people with the skills to respond to human-wildlife conflict, we are building a stronger foundation for long-term coexistence between communities and wildlife," said Simbarashe Chatikobo, Senior Program Officer.
As the Community Guardians program continues to grow, local communities remain at the heart of conservation efforts. By empowering people who live alongside wildlife with the knowledge and skills to prevent and manage conflict, the program helps create safer communities, protect wildlife, and strengthen the long-term resilience of Zimbabwe's Transfrontier Conservation Areas.
