Gunning down baboons not acceptable!

Date:

By Cuthbert Mashoko

Having written about how baboons are raiding Chirimigwa and Bhukuvhani villages under Chief Neshuro in Mwenezi in the last paper’s edition, l also followed with keen interest other stories on how baboons are becoming a menace.

 One such story being that of Kwekwe, Redcliff, where Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife (Zimparks) has resorted to the use of lethal methods in order to do away with marauding baboons.

Lethal methods include shooting, poisoning and caging. The use of these lethal methods has drawn mixed feelings among citizens.

Baboon.

Since time immemorial, droughts were known for causing havoc to both humanity and wildlife. However, rarely were there conflicts between the two which called for the elimination of the other.

 lt is this which  gives  food for thought on what has gone wrong , since historically man and the animal kingdom used to live together in harmony.

 Human activities as witnessed in illegal mining and deforestation as people clear land for residential and agricultural purposes has caused massive environmental degradation which has exposed wildlife. This has led to the shrinking of wildlife territory. Furthermore, destruction of forests as people gather firewood has caused a dent on food sources for baboons.

Competition for wild fruits between the primates and human beings has seen the former on the losing end. Gathering of wild fruits, as of late has been a lucrative adventure due to their nutritional and medicinal value.

This has fueled over harvesting of wild fruits leaving primates with little to survive on. It is these human activities which have exacerbated the effects of the El-Nino induced drought on wildlife hence the unusual behavior in wildlife as they try to make a living.

While baboons can be a threat to human life, shooting and poisoning them might be shooting humanity in the foot. It is time for humanity to introspect on how it has endangered the survival of the animal kingdom and how best we can normalise the situation before we let go the beauty of the Garden of Eden.

Use of non – lethal methods to deter primates has long term benefits. These can help to keep primates in their territory. Re-forestation exercises, targeting trees that provide food to the primates will ensure food security to the primates.

 This in turn, will boost ecotourism which has the potential of creating employment. The ministry responsible for forestry and wildlife should keep watch on illegal mining activities. The use of dynamites in mountains has made the mountains unsafe zones for primates. It is these encroachments on the animal kingdom which have given birth to human wildlife conflict.

 Protected forests might also be part of the package in safe guarding the territory of primates. The Mafungautsi protected forest in Gokwe is a living testimony to the effectiveness of protected forests. This should take on board the local people as this builds the symbiotic relationship between man and the animal kingdom which used to be the norm since the creation of the planet earth.

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