malvernmugadzikwa
Online Reporter
THE Government, in conjunction with Wild Africa, will on Wednesday launch a WhatsApp Conflict Chatbot, a toolbox to be used for the sustainable management of elephants in a bid to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The toolbox, which was developed by Save the Elephants, will provide 80 techniques and methods of co-existence solutions.
It is being translated to Ndebele and will later be translated to Shona.
Save The Elephants, headquartered in Nairobi, is instrumental in raising funds internationally to support community initiatives focused on wildlife conservation.
Speaking ahead of the launch on Wednesday, Save The Elephants Coexistence Director Dr Lucy said the toolbox will be digitised into a WhatsApp platform and provides farmers with co-existence strategies.
“In Kenya, maize is the main crop we use and elephants love maize so if you live where there are elephants and you grow maize, you will find them there,” she said.
“So, we are helping farmers to think differently about the crops they plant. Even if you still want maize, we are saying you can have a buffer zone of 50 metres of another crop first like chillies and sunflowers that elephants don’t eat.”
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter