BUBYE Valley Conservancy makes strides in resolving human-wildlife conflict

BUBYE Valley Conservancy (BVC) in Beitbridge, Matabeleland South has made significant strides towards providing solutions to the challenges of human-wildlife conflict after erecting an electrified double fence around the sanctuary.

Measuring 3 740 square kilometres, BVC is a sanctuary for numerous wildlife species including the Big Five.

Human-wildlife conflict is a serious challenge in communities adjacent to national parks and private game reserves, where villagers have lost livestock, crops and property while some are injured, maimed or killed.

Proposals have been made to erect perimeter fence between communities and wildlife sanctuaries although concerns have been raised about vandalism by people.

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and other initiatives’ free movement of wildlife polices also make it not ideal to have a fence. Major predators are lions, elephants, buffaloes, wild dogs and hyenas.

A high level human wildlife conflict and co-existence indaba was held on the sidelines of the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo, where various stakeholders concurred on the need to prevent conflict than wait to compensate communities for loss.

This comes as Government is working on a Human Wildlife conflict Fund that seeks to compensate victims of conflict.

Speaking at the indaba that was officiated by Vice President Dr Costantino Chiwenga and attended by Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, BVC community, education engagement co-ordinator Mr Collet Sayi said the sanctuary had initiated a number of strategies including erecting the fence, employing locals, initiating development programmes and generally empowering the community.

This helps build a sense of ownership among them and they protect the natural resources as theirs.

“We have put a very expensive but effective initiative where we have put a double fence around the 3 700square kilometres with cameras and alarms,” he said.

“To support that, we have 10 people on standby, who can receive the message if anything is going in or outside and within 15 minutes, reaction will be activated.”

Mr Sayi said the conservancy has three vehicles on standby, while all its 600 workers are locals.

The sanctuary is building a conservation school within the conservancy to educate community about conservation and build a good relationship.

He said the fence has reduced conflict while other initiatives have empowered the community to react to illegal activities and stray animals.

Where damage has been done, BVC has compensated victims with the case of a woman who was attacked by a lion and lost sight, a glaring example after the sanctuary reacted by killing the problem lion and took the woman to hospital where she was treated and had an operation that restored her sight.

“As Bubye Valley Conservancy, we have a number of initiatives that relate to improving our relationship with communities.

“We are supporting about 351 vulnerable children with education and have built schools and clinics in Mwenezi and Beitbridge,” he said. “We also do a lot of water and sanitation programmes while a livestock rehabilitation plan where we offer hay bales to farmers in drought stricken areas is ongoing.

“Through our initiatives, we want to prevent animals from killing people and sustain lives and make communities feel that the conservancy belongs to them. There are a lot of success stories from BVC including that of a woman who regained her sight after attack by a lion and she conducted a traditional ceremony to celebrate her recovery.”

Mr Sayi said they have a number of farmers that lost animals to lions from the conservancy and these have been compensated. He said BVC appreciates the upcoming fund and we will be guided by its statutes going, once it is enacted. Through their efforts, there has been significant improvement in relations with communities.

In other conflict zones, villagers resort to poaching in reaction to damage caused by wildlife.

Participants at the indaba commended BVC for its initiatives that can be replicated in other areas.

Zimbabwe Parks and Widlife Management Authority director, Dr Fulton Mangwanya said the widlife authority needs support with resources for effective wildlife management.

Environment Minister, Dr Nyoni said elephant population, climate change and illegal settlements were some of the major causes of conflict. She called for targeted programmes that prevent conflict.

“It is our wish that we reduce elephant population to prevent conflict. Nothing can compensate a life and even the fund should really focus on preventing loss of life rather than dealing with conflict,” she said.

“So, we are trying to make sure people and animals co-exist, there should be a boundary fence to prevent animals from straying either side. We need a blitz in terms of educating communities that the wildlife belongs to them and they should not cut the fence.”

Speaking on the same platform, Chief Siansali of Binga called for inclusion of locals in mitigation strategies.