OPERATION: Return of the Wild

Wildlife Restoration Campaign Project Mission The purpose of this campaign is to assist the Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), the Kingdom of Shikabeta in the Lower Luano Game Management Area, and the Norton family of Makasa Safaris in conducting a wildlife restoration operation in Zambia. This project will restore populations of 50 puku antelope and 50 cape buffalo to protected ecosystems where certain species went locally extinct due to bushmeat poaching. When wildlife disappears in rural Africa it is usually because people are hungry and wildlife has no economic value on the landscape. Bushmeat poaching can wipe out entire species locally. Once wildlife disappears, ecosystems degrade and communities lose one of their most valuable natural resources. This project is about bringing those animals back and restoring wildlife to landscapes where it once existed. Our Role Shepherds of Wildlife is not conducting the wildlife capture operations. Our role is to: Raise the funds required to carry out the restoration Document the operation for global audiences Educate the public about how wildlife restoration actually works The capture and relocation will be conducted by professional wildlife teams in Zambia who perform these operations regularly. The operation will involve: Helicopters Six-wheel wildlife transport trucks Wildlife veterinarians Capture specialists Experienced wildlife handling crews The animals will be captured, transported, and placed into temporary acclimation bomas where they will remain for 5–6 weeks before being released into the wild. This restoration effort will be documented as a major storyline for the upcoming documentary: Killing the Shepherd: Return of the Wild