KAFUE NATIONAL PARK LISTED FOR MOLECULAR ECOLOGICAL NETWORK ANALYSIS

By JOSEPH BANDA
ZAMBIA’S Kafue National Park has been listed as one of the five  parks where African Parks is conducting the Molecular Ecological Network Analysis (MENA) to understand relationships between different wildlife species by analysing the environmental DNA (Edna).
The country’s oldest national park, and covering 22,400 square kilometres, is one of the last vast expanses of the Zambezian ecoregion and is one of the world’s most important natural heritage sites, home to elephant, large predators, the highest diversity of antelope species in Africa, and over 500 bird species.
According to a statement released by African Parks, by using eDNA technology, it was constructing “ecological networks,” visual maps that reveal the hidden structure and functioning of ecosystems within places like Kafue National Park.
“By comparing these networks in healthy and potentially stressed environments, conservationists can identify ecological disruptions and develop targeted recovery strategies,” it said.
It said MENA represented an innovative shift in conservation science, utilising sophisticated scientific techniques and merges eDNA sequencing with Ecological Network Analysis (ENA) to create a powerful tool for assessing biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, through providing insights into ecosystem composition, structure, and function.
It said the approach was less invasive and avoided disturbing wildlife and offered a deeper understanding of how ecosystems functioned.
African Parks said the insights were critical for assessing ecosystem health, identifying vulnerabilities, and informing conservation strategies that moved beyond species lists to a more holistic, data-driven approach.
“MENA captures this environmental DNA (eDNA) in soil, water and faecal samples, and ‘scans’ the unique DNA barcode, revealing the rich diversity of species that inhabit a landscape, such as Kafue, including those more elusive animals that don’t always want to be found.
“What makes MENA powerful is its ability to go beyond species detection, it reveals how organisms are interconnected and dependent on one another, uncovering the invisible threads of ecological relationships that weave the fabric of a functioning ecosystem,” said Jordana Meyer Morgan, the MENA project manager.
MENA aims to bridge conservation science with real-world management, equipping rangers, ecologists, and policymakers with the tools they needed to empower them to become active participants in monitoring and safeguarding their natural heritage.
Over 160 park staff, volunteers and local researchers have been trained in eDNA sampling and analysis techniques.
It said over the past year, 160 parks staff team had collected more than 7,775 faecal, soil, and water samples from diverse habitats in five parks, across five countries where African Parks works: Kafue National Park, Akagera National Park in Rwanda, Iona National Park in Angola, Odzala-Kokoua in the Republic of Congo, and Zakouma National Park in Chad.
“This cutting-edge science will help our park team make smarter decisions to help conserve Zambia’s biodiversity for the benefit of every person and creature that calls this landscape home, now and for years to come,” said Sally Reece, Regional Biodiversity & Science Support, Southern Region at African Parks.