Sadc conservationists work to address human-wildlife conflict

WILDLIFE conservationists from the Sadc region are seeking to collectively find a holistic solution to human-wildlife conflict, which is affecting communities that share boundaries with game parks.

Lack of funding and resources, the existence of informal land users and settlements and climate change-induced droughts are some of the reasons communities are failing to address human-wildlife conflict, especially with elephants whose population in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (Kaza-TFCA) increased to 227 900 elephants in the bloc, from 216 970 in 2016, according to last year’s aerial survey.

The ballooning elephant population causes wildlife migration to human settlements, as various animal species seek food and water.

The five Kaza-partner countries — Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — Botswana remains highly populated with 131 090 elephants, which translates to 58 percent of the total Kaza elephant population followed by Zimbabwe with 65 028 elephants, which is 29 percent.

Zimbabwe had 57 398 elephants in the Kaza-administered areas in 2016. Zambia has the lowest population of elephants at 3 840, Angola 65 983 and Namibia 21 090.

Speaking at a Sadc TFCA virtual panel discussion attended by government officials, non-governmental organisations, and community practitioners to tackle the increasing elephant populations and climate change, which is worsening the human-wildlife conflict in the region yesterday, the conservationists challenged the so-called animal rights activists for imposing a ban on wildlife hunting and animal products.

They argued that translocation and hunting are practical ways of addressing the conflict between humans and wildlife.

“We have a lot of Western countries trying to ban trophies, which is detrimental to conservation. In Southern Africa, we have done so well, especially to the Big Five, which we pride ourselves on,” said Mr Siyoka Simasiku, the executive director of Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organisation.

He said hunting is a way of controlling human-wildlife conflict. Participants said lack of compensation for victims of conflict, irregular animal corridors and lack of access to mitigation information, which is not available in local languages, were some of the concerns raised by the affected communities.

In Zimbabwe, many people have been attacked by wild animals.

Mr Matthews Mumba from Malawi-Zambia TFCA, Malawi Focal Point implored countries to strive to find solutions to challenges.

“Several interventions are being made by organisations like the International Fund for Animal Welfare and there has been excellent collaboration within Sadc.

We need to have a human dimension incorporated so that communities see value in wildlife and avoid killing them,” he did.

Mr Leo Niskanen, the regional head of Biodiversity Conservation-IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa said there is a need for consideration for the socio-economic and psychological cost of conflict.

“People living near game parks face the burden of co-existing with wild animals hence the discussions.

This is aimed among other things, to discuss their challenges in light of the biggest elephant in the room being the elephants themselves,” he said.

Organisers of the discussion, EcoExist, felt the recent tragic deaths in Malawi, following the translocation of elephants to release pressure in their original areas, shows the need to plan to rewild well and foresee all consequences.

Several mitigation tools from good fences to farmers staying out of elephant corridors and clustering fields and “conservation agriculture”, to beehives on fences, smelly chilli rags and chili bombs are being used.

Chairperson of the Human Elephant Conflict Working Group, Mr Loki Osborn said there is a need for clarity on whether there should be Sadc guidelines or the IUCN guidelines on translocation of elephants be mitigates.

Mr Graham McCulloch, director of EcoExist moderated the discussion,