Zambia is upping efforts to curb wildlife trafficking through international airports following a progress review of the “Worth More Alive” awareness campaign.
During a high-level evaluation meeting at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) last week, the Zambian Ministry of Tourism, Zambia Airports Corporation Limited and Wildlife Crime Prevention reported key achievements since the campaign’s August 2022 launch.
These include the installation of sculptures of endangered species at KKIA, distribution of multilingual educational materials across Zambia’s four international airports and the establishment of a wildlife crime reporting hotline, supported by Department of National Parks and Wildlife personnel on site.
The initiative aims to turn airports – once vulnerable points for smuggling – into hubs of conservation messaging and vigilance.
Speaking on behalf of the ministry, Stewart Mukupa, Assistant Director: Human Resource and Administration at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, said: “This campaign is not just about wildlife, it is about the kind of Zambia we want to build and pass on to future generations. Zambia’s iconic and endangered wildlife – including elephants, pangolins, rhinos and big cats – are integral to our ecological balance and national identity. They are worth more alive, not only in the wild but in our future.”
The ministry confirmed its intention to further expand the campaign and strengthen public engagement and enforcement efforts going forward.
