The Department of National Parks and Wildlife has stressed on the need for the country’s national parks and game reserves to have community village lodges as one way of conserving wildlife resources.

According to the Department’s Head of Environmental Education and Extension Matias Elisa, apart from conservation, the community village lodges also serve a purpose of community empowerment.

Elisa, who cited an example of Linyangwa Village Lodge located outside Kasungu National Park, added that communities surrounding such lodges are also capable of directly benefiting from the camps.

“It’s important to have community villages lodges as you have witnesses here, it serves two purposes of conservation and also community empowerment, economically.

“It will assist in promotion of wildlife conservation because the community will now take the wildlife resources as theirs and on the other hand the community will get an immediate benefit out of wildlife resources,” said Elisa.

On his part, Senior Chief Lukwa of Kasungu District has pleaded for support in order to boost the cultural lodge which he says will in turn assist in wildlife promotion.

“Please assist as, as you see Linyangwa Village already started on a good note, and all they need is more support so that this place is wealth creating venture.

“We have examples of Kuluga National Park in Zambia where people have cultural lodges along the national park and when people tour the park, they do sleep right at the village cultural lodges,” said Senior Chief Lukwa.

According Senior Group Village Headman Linyangwa, apart from wildlife promotion and conversation, the Linyangwa Cultural Lodge was established to support needy children in the village.