Chronicle EditorGibson Mhaka, [email protected]
LEANING against the wall of his bedroom hut, he stares at the thatched roof, recounting how a herd of enraged elephants nearly took his life in 2021.
The close encounter with a herd of elephants while responding to a distress call in Mabale Village, Dopota area in Ward 17 of Hwange East in Matabeleland North Province left Mr Gideon Dube (76)’s right knee broken.
“It was back in 2021. I was herding cattle when I heard a distress call. There was a herd of elephants nearby. They all came making those noises they make when they attack — wailing — and I was also yelling and wailing. “In the chaos, they trampled me, fracturing my right knee. I called for help, but with the elephants still around, nobody dared to come. It was a miracle I survived that day,” said Mr Dube.
He said during the brief struggle, one of the elephants snatched him with its trunk and flung him aside. Although happy to have survived the ordeal, Mr Dube said walking and supporting his family through work remains difficult. His case is not an isolated one. It exemplifies the tragic escalation of human-wildlife conflict, fueled by factors such as climate change, which can lead to human casualties and ultimately, retaliatory killings of wild animals.
According to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) director Dr Fulton Mangwanya, close to 300 people were killed by wild animals and 308 injured between 2019 and 2023 as human-wildlife conflict cases continue to rise countrywide. Speaking at a human-wildlife conflict and co-existence indaba held recently by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife in Bulawayo, Dr Mangwanya said the situation on the ground is not good.
“Sixty seven people were killed in 2022 and the number decreased in 2023 to 50 and the injured were 65 in 2022 and 85 in 2023. We have 283 people who were killed from 2019 to 2023 and 308 injuries. 697 cattle, 1 113 goats and 118 donkeys were killed during the same period. This is not good for our people,” he said.
Although traditionally, research on the effects of climate change has treated its effects on people and ecosystems as separate issues, investigations have found evidence of conflict between people and wildlife being exacerbated by climate change. An investigation by Chronicle in communities near Hwange National Park’s buffer zones, including Mabale, Songwa, and Hangano, revealed growing human-wildlife conflict in the communities with climate change-driven droughts identified as a key factor.
Climate Change expert Mr Tawanda Collins Muzamwese warned that rising temperatures due to climate change are disrupting vegetation, food sources, access to water, and much more. Ecosystems are gradually becoming uninhabitable for some animals, forcing wildlife to migrate beyond their usual ranges in search of food and livable conditions.
He said climate change has become the biggest threat to wildlife more than poaching as humans and animals compete for limited resources. “Climate change is poised to reduce the productivity of essential resources. Water, food, and other necessities will become increasingly difficult to access. This scarcity will inevitably lead to heightened competition between humans and wildlife, potentially resulting in conflicts.
“Climate change is also causing habitats to shrink or become unsuitable for some species. This forces them to search for new homes, which may bring them into conflict with humans,” said Mr Muzamwese. To effectively address human-wildlife conflict in the face of climate change, Mr Muzamwese said research on climate impacts on both humans and wildlife needs better integration.
“We need policies that tackle both climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for human-wildlife conflict. This ensures a comprehensive approach to the problem, addressing the root causes and minimising future conflict risks. Specific funding should be allocated for research and implementation of solutions tailored to human-wildlife conflict arising from climate change,” he said.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has classified Southern Africa which includes Zimbabwe as a region at risk facing increased risks of extreme heat and reduced rainfall due to global warming. Zimbabwe has experienced frequent droughts. According to the Meteorological Services Department, daily minimum temperatures have risen by 2,6 degrees Celsius over the last century, while daily maximum temperatures have risen by 2 degrees Celsius.
The number of cold days has decreased, while hot days have become more common. Rainfall has decreased by some 20 percent, while the frequency of droughts has increased from once a decade to about once every three years. As droughts intensify due to climate change, wild animals such as elephants, lions, buffaloes, hyenas, and wild dogs stray into communities in search of food and water.
Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo recently told The Herald that elephants, along with other animals such as buffaloes, wildebeest, and zebras, were leaving the Hwange National Park in large numbers, crossing into Botswana to escape the severe drought conditions plaguing the southern African nation.
“Climate change is no laughing matter because it is putting pressure on the country’s biodiversity. Water bodies have dried up and the animals are in search of water and food. Climate change-induced water shortage also increases cases of human-wildlife conflict in the country,” he said. Mr Farawo’s explanation underscores how climate change-induced mass movements of wild animals apparently led to increased human-wildlife conflict as these animals traverse populated areas. This situation exemplifies how climate change acts as an amplifier of existing tensions between humans and wildlife.
Investigations also established that climate change is a critical yet underappreciated amplifier of human–wildlife conflict, as it exacerbates resource scarcity, alters human and animal behaviours and distributions, and increases human–wildlife encounters. In some cases, climate change is shifting wildlife habitats, bringing them closer to people where they hadn’t been before.
Mr Lift Sibanda (45), another villager from Dopota said sightings of wild animals were rare during his youth but now they are all over the area.
“Now, these animals are everywhere. I recently lost four cows to lions that attack our livestock from the kraals at night and even during the day in grazing areas,” said Mr Sibanda, his voice laced with worry.
“They’re no longer afraid to come right into our backyards. It’s terrifying. Several villagers have been attacked — some even killed or maimed.
“The worst are the elephants. These can destroy entire fields of crops in a single night. It’s devastating our livelihoods, and we’re living in constant fear.”
Mr Sibanda said while the community values wildlife conservation, which is one of the main economic drivers in the area through tourism, with several private and community-run conservancies, peaceful coexistence was a challenge. “While wild animals are valuable, the lives of people must come first. Even though peaceful coexistence is a challenge, we need solutions that protect both humans and elephants,” said Mr Sibanda who is also a survivor of two terrifying wildlife attacks.
Mr Sibanda’s lament paints a clear picture of dwindling resources, one of the hallmarks of climate change, creating a desperate situation for wildlife.
This vulnerability threatens their survival, pushing them into the croplands of people who share their habitat, particularly during harvest seasons. The desperate search for food and water triggers conflicts with villagers, with elephants posing a major concern.
Hwange National Park, the country’s largest nature reserve, has a capacity to sustain only 15 000 elephants, but parks officials estimate that the population has ballooned to around 55 000. This forces many elephants to stray into surrounding communities in search of food and water.
Investigations also revealed that human-wildlife conflict is expected to rise significantly as the country approaches its historically driest period. This coincides with the aftermath of a poor rainy season exacerbated by climate change.
Environment and natural resources officer with the Hwange Rural District Council (RDC) Mr Nxolelani Ncube, acknowledged that climate change has undeniably been the driving force behind the unprecedented escalation of human-wildlife conflict being witnessed in Hwange District.
“Human-wildlife conflict intensified by the effects of climate change remains a core issue in Hwange and has been prioritised for urgent action. Communities have increasingly lost various assets, including crops, livestock, water sources, and even lives. We have identified hotspots, and rangers maintain a constant presence in these areas.
“Additionally, Campfire Committees are well-trained on reporting channels for Problem Animal Control (PAC),” said Mr Ncube. He said the council was also working with various partners, including Connected Conservation for human-elephant mitigation and Lions Shield Guardians for predator conflict mitigation. “The council works with Zimparks to capture dangerous carnivores like lions. Additionally, the council has a resolution to support those affected by wildlife attacks,” he said.
“This includes providing a coffin and groceries during burials. Government is currently fine tuning the human wildlife conflict fund which shall go a long way in addressing the community needs through wildlife interface,” said Mr Ncube. As climate change disrupts historical weather patterns and intensifies droughts, human-wildlife conflict around communities bordering Hwange National Park has grown tremendously.
To tackle this escalating issue, Zimparks partnered with its strategic partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and implemented a cutting-edge Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to track wild animals, particularly elephant movements. The technology comes in handy, especially as climate change disrupts animal behaviour and resource availability.
Experts anticipate that the construction and completion of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, less than 50km east of Hwange National Park, will alter elephants’ movement patterns in unforeseen ways. While the dam itself may initially displace animals, it could also concentrate them in new areas, potentially increasing human-wildlife conflict within surrounding communities. The GPS tracking technology will be crucial in understanding these complex interactions.
Zimparks’ principal ecologist, Ms Daphine Madhlamoto who led the recent research and collaring operation, said trackers on elephants will not only help locate them and reduce conflict with villagers through early warnings, but will also provide crucial data on how these intelligent creatures are adapting to changing weather patterns and habitat shifts caused by climate change.
“So we will be checking these collared elephants online and be able to track their movements and identify the resources they utilise outside the park boundaries,” said Ms Madhlamoto. “This not only allows us to alert communities when elephants move into communal areas, preventing potential conflicts, but also provides vital information on how they’re adapting to shrinking habitats and shifting resource availability due to climate change.
“Additionally, we can monitor interactions between humans and elephants to gain valuable insights for future management strategies that consider both wildlife needs and human safety in a changing climate.”
IFAW’s landscape conservation programme manager Dr Henry Ndaimani said their goal was not only to study how elephants use the area northeast of Hwange National Park, but also to understand how their behaviour might change due to factors such as climate change.
“These changes, along with unpredictable shifts due to climate change, are expected to alter elephant movement patterns. By collaring and monitoring the elephants, we aim to gain insights into current landscape use and potential future changes due to the dam and a warming climate.
“Successful monitoring could lead to an early warning system for communities to protect crops and maintain a stable elephant population and healthy ecosystem,” he said.
Before the introduction of GPS technology to track wild animals, particularly elephant movements, communities adjacent to the Hwange National Park had already implemented measures to fight human-wildlife conflict likely exacerbated by unpredictable weather patterns, a potential consequence of climate change. One innovative approach is the predator-proof mobile boma, which uses thick plastic sheeting to deter lions.
These mobile bomas are designed for easy assembly, disassembly, and relocation between crop fields. To protect their crops from raiding elephant herds, villagers also burn elephant dung sprinkled with hot chilies at strategic points in their fields each night.
*This story is published under the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe Investigative Journalism Fund with support from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
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