In Pictures – The Life of a Wildlife Veterinarian: An Interview With Mwamba Sichande

Dazzle Africa’s Stacy James and wildlife and conservation photographer Amish Chhagan speak with Mwamba Sichande about his journey and hardships in becoming a wildlife veterinarian. The stakeholders in conservation are many and it is important to highlight each and every one of them. 

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“Fear is often based on ignorance, not knowing the behavior of the animal.” – Mwamba Sichande.

A lesson from the wild and certainly a lesson in life from one of Zambia’s first wildlife veterinarians, Dr. Mwamba Sichande. Dr. Sichande was born and educated in 1984 and grew up in Chinsali in the Northern part of Zambia. When he graduated secondary school he left for the capital city of Lusaka after being accepted at the University of Zambia (UNZA), where he attended veterinary school spanning six years. After completing his degree in 2011, he briefly worked with Lusaka Animal Welfare Society to gain practical experience treating animals. In 2013, he joined the Conservation South Luangwa (CSL) and Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP). This is where his wilder journey begins.

The Journey

Earth.Org (EO): Did you always have an interest in animals and wildlife? 

Sichande: I never actually knew I’d be a vet at a young age. I had a friend who encouraged me to take a vet course in our second year. I never imagined that wildlife was one of the options for being a vet, I assumed I would work with smaller animals like cats and goats. That’s how I started and was doing sterilizations and vaccinations for community programs.

EO: Did you have any challenges you faced while pursuing your degree? It must have been quite an undertaking since it is a long program. 

Sichande: Luckily, I was provided a loan by the government for most of my schooling, but not everything was covered. My father had retired and so I needed to find money for the courses and other things that weren’t covered by the loan.

EO: In your career, you moved from caring for domestic animals like dogs and cats to wildlife. What was the transition like for you?  

Sichande: The people I found on the ground really helped me to settle and get into the job. The first few months I was just following and seeing what others were doing. It was a massive change for me. It was my first time seeing elephants and lions in the wild. When we worked with lions, the people I was with were not scared and gave me the confidence that I could do this. The team I found was very helpful for me. 

EO: When did you realize that being a wildlife veterinarian was the right path for you? Was there a moment or period of time in your life?

Sichande: The moment was when I just got the job. At that time in Zambia there were not many wildlife vets and that was something that attracted me to come to Mfuwe. Having the opportunity to work with wild animals and supporting organizations – I found my passion.

EO: Do you remember when you first worked with Dazzle Africa? I can remember the first animal. It was a young hippo and people were stoning it. 

Sichande: I met Stacy on my first week in Mfuwe in June and have been sponsored by Dazzle Africa in South Luangwa for the past eleven years. 

Those were early days and so many things happened when I just came in. I was very much still learning. Unfortunately, that animal did not make it. There was also an elephant that died within my first few months in Mfuwe. 

EO: With those events happening within your first months of being a wildlife veterinarian, how did that make you feel? Did they impact you in any certain way?  

Sichande: I wasn’t frustrated because I was still learning, but it made me curious to find out what really goes on from both sides [those who do or do not care about wildlife]. During this time, Rachel McRobb [CEO Conservation South Luangwa] and Matt Becker [CEO Zambian Carnivore Programme] were shadowing me and introducing me to the job so I could start doing it on my own. They were always there, and I learned a lot from them during those first few months. 

Real Impact, Rewards and Conservation

EO: In your role as a wildlife vet, has there been a moment that’s surprised you?

Sichande: A lot of things, actually. The first is how creative we must be to get the job done. Most of the time we are working in the field and so we have to improvise a lot. There was a time when we were helping a snared elephant calf. After we darted both the mom and the calf, we were trying to find the snare but didn’t see it. My colleagues lifted the calf’s legs and I had to get underneath it like mechanics get underneath a vehicle. That was when I could see the snare and use my wire cutters to pull it off. It was unusual to remove a snare in such a manner. I have a photo that almost looks like I’m sleeping under the leg of an elephant.  

EO: Your friends must be strong because that’s a heavy leg!

Sichande: Yes, that’s true! Another surprising moment was when I learned how important tourism is for revenue, both for the country and the local community. That was another thing I noticed when I moved to Mfuwe. Learning how this one sector [tourism] can change the lives of people in the area, it was amazing for me to learn. And I think if the country does more [to promote tourism and protect wildlife], then more can be achieved for the local communities. 

EO: What do you find rewarding about your role?

Sichande: CSL has many partners it works with on projects. It is rewarding to work with other organizations to help wildlife together in ways that we could not do on our own. For example, there have been a couple of times where a mother elephant in South Luangwa was not able to be saved and we do not have the resources to take care of the baby elephants. Partnering with Game Rangers International, they are able to take these calves to their orphanage and rehabilitate them. The calves get a second chance at life that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. 

Last year, we helped African Parks de-snare a cheetah. South Luangwa doesn’t have cheetahs, but I worked on them before I moved to Mfuwe. Since I have these other skill sets, I can help other organizations on different animals when needed. With any vet in Zambia, the knowledge we have isn’t limited to where we work, and can be used throughout the country. 

I’ve been helping other African countries and just came back from Cambodia to share what I can and teach others. We help each other since we all have the same goal.

EO: What are some of the positive impacts you are seeing in the community from having a vet?

Sichande: One of the things that has changed locally is the care of domestic dogs. It wasn’t easy in the beginning but over time and with education and outreach, we are seeing a big change in how much more responsible people are towards their animals. People now know that animals can be treated medically, and they are bringing their animals in for care. We are seeing a very positive impact. 

People are now even bringing us animals like snakes to be treated before they are released back into the wild. We had someone bring in a snake that had been caught in a fishing net. 

EO: I would assume that the community learning to care more for their domestic animals would also have an effect on the way they perceive the wildlife around them. For example, if they saw an injured elephant, they would know who to reach out to for help.

Sichande: That kind of engagement from the community [with domestic animals] provides a conducive environment for us to work with wildlife. We recently had someone see a snared animal nearby and not only called us to tell us, but also waited for us to arrive. It’s nice to know that we’ve made that sort of impact that people in the community will reach out to us to help animals. 

EO: What have been some of the joys for you in this line of work? 

Sichande: One was when a large pride of around 18 lions were eating a carcass that had been poisoned. Unfortunately, one lion had died before we could intervene, but over the next four days, we were able to save the rest of the pride through our intervention. 

Another was a time when a baby elephant fell in a hole in a nearby village. The mother elephant was worried and was trying to keep people away. We were able to dart the mom and save the calf. While we were reversing the tranquilizer on the mom, the calf came over to me and it was a very joyful moment. 

EO: Are you still scared of lions? 

Sichande: (laughs) No! The most important thing was for me to learn about animal behavior. So now I am very familiar with them, and I know what kind of precautions to take. Fear is often based on ignorance, not knowing – especially with lions. They have a bad reputation but when you work with them you realize the stories are not true. 

The Hardships

EO: What are some of the common emotions you experience in your work?

Sichande: There are a lot. The first that sticks out is when you have to make a decision to euthanize an elephant. It may be because it was shot and cannot be helped and is only suffering. It is very difficult and emotional, but it is a decision that needs to be made. 

EO: What keeps you going when times get challenging? Sichande: Teamwork helps me a lot. Our work cannot really be done alone, and it’s helpful to have a team of people to work with and support each other. When times get hard, I have a good team and support system behind me to help me through. They have been incredible for me.

The Future 

EO: What’s the status of wildlife vets in Zambia today? 

Sichande: We have gotten more people into the sector. The National Parks have around six veterinarians, and Stacy James [from Dazzle Africa] really opened the private sector and now there are other wildlife vets working with NGOs [nongovernmental organizations]. We still need more considering the number of National Parks we have.  

EO: What do you think about the education, infrastructure, support, and other tools that are needed today to qualify as a vet in Zambia compared to when you were qualifying to be a vet?

Sichande: I think mentorship and experience is important. I believe the curriculum is good, but when I graduated, I was not exposed enough to wildlife, and it was something I had to learn on the job. That is one thing we are working to change. We are emphasizing to mentor people as they come behind us. Mentorship is critical if we want to continue the work that we are doing. EO: You are doing a great job mentoring, Mwamba. I know you’ve had international students and lots of local students who are following in your footsteps. You’re creating this whole pathway behind you. Thank you for mentoring and being an inspiration for the next generation.

Featured image: Amish Chhagan.

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About the Interviewers

Stacy James is co-founder and CEO of Dazzle Africa, a nonprofit safari operator that offers luxury safaris in Zambia that fund systemic work in conservation, education and clean water. 

Dr. Sichande’s position at ZCP and CSL is supported by Dazzle Africa thanks to the major contributions of veterinary sponsors Cathy and Mike Smith. Wildlife under his care now stand a chance when caught in poachers’ snares, as he removes the wires and treats the affected areas. Dr. Sichande also looks after the canines who work with anti-poaching scouts and the domestic animals in his local community. A pioneer in his field, Dr. Sichande is training and mentoring a new generation of wildlife conservation veterinarians to carry out this important work. 

Amish Chhagan is a professional wildlife and conservation photographer originally from Zambia. Aside from his artistic work, he is a strong advocate for conservation and supports select conservation organizations in Africa, including CSL and ZCP as well as collaborating with Dazzle Africa. His work has won him several accolades and publications. You can see more of his work on his website and Instagram. 

To learn more about the work of a wildlife vet, support their efforts or join us for a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience, get in touch at stacy@dazzleafrica.org. Donations made to Dazzle Africa will go directly to the CSL Veterinary program to fund current critical needs if marked with “veterinary program” in the donation notes.

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