Conservationists have welcomed the intervention. The forest is home to 10 million roosting bats that are crucial pollinators – and unbeknown to most, it is also Africa’s largest migration and the world’s largest mammal migration.
Kasanka National Park is home to the largest mammal migration on earth. Picture: Getaway Gallery
Every year, between October and December, Kasanka National Park welcomes 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats from the rainforests of Congo when they flock to the area’s woodland, which is also known as the largest mammal migration on earth.
At the end of January 2022, the Zambian High Court ruled that two major companies with commercial interests in the forests of Kasanka halt their operation with immediate effect.
This not only means that they can no longer harvest timber or clear land for agricultural activities, but also the abstraction of water from the nearby Luwombwa River beyond limits.
‘For too long, some of Zambia’s most important habitats, including Kasanka have been threatened by the illegal activities of private companies with no consideration of the adverse effect this has had on local communities which depend on the land,’ said James Mwanza, General Manager of the Kasanka Trust. ‘The Court’s ruling strengthens our continued efforts to protect the environment.’
The Court order was issued by Judge Kafunda on 25 January 2022. Picture: Kasanka Trust
The trust told the court at the hearings last year in November that companies had already cleared hundreds of hectares of forest, diverted parts of the river and have already constructed roads, permanent dwellings and an airstrip in the area.
Both companies had failed to comply with stop orders from Zambia’s national park authority. High court judge, Mr Kafunda, granted a temporary injunction, pending a full trial. A breach of the interim injunction could result in criminal charges for the companies
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