By Morgen Makombo Sikwila
It should be noted that, a colossal number of rural people live within 5 kilometers of forests and most them depend on wild food.
While it’s often what gets the most attention, wildlife trafficking isn’t the only threat to Africa’s wildlife. As people and wildlife increasingly find themselves in closer quarters a new problem is intensifying: that of human–wildlife conflict.
Human–wildlife conflict is borne out of a competition for limited resources, including water to drink, food to eat and space to live. As human settlement increasingly expands, areas that have been historically inhabited by wildlife are converted into agricultural fields or grazing areas for livestock. Reduction in the availability of natural prey/food sources leads to wild animals seeking alternate sources.
Rural communities rely on farming and livestock to feed and support themselves. These practices are an integral part of their way of life. At the same time, however, these activities convert critical wildlife habitat, often driving out of the landscape many species that resident carnivores relied on for prey. Without their usual food sources, lions and leopards often turn to the next available option, community livestock.
Carnivores aren’t the only wildlife that comes into conflict with communities. Elephants also cause their fair share of trouble, often raiding community crops. In a matter of hours, a group of elephants can completely decimate an entire field, and a critical source of income for the owners of that field.
Conflict with humans presents risks of retaliation. It can also create negative sentiments towards conservation among local communities. It’s no surprise, therefore, that communities have taken to retaliating for the loss of their cattle or crops, often attempting to kill the offending animals. This struggle for survival by both parties is at the heart of the human–wildlife conflict issue.
Mitigating this conflict requires solutions that protect both wildlife populations and human livelihoods. Steps need to be taken to help communities realize the benefits that living in harmony with wildlife can provide.
There is a need for communities and national wildlife and parks officials join forces to address this issue, providing specialized training and equipment that would help keep problem animals at bay. LED torches (flashlights) can be provided to community members to help them raise the alarm and potentially scare off intruding animals such as elephants. Rangers, meanwhile, can be given thunder flashes (which are like small firecrackers) that would serve as a much stronger incentive for the elephants to vacate the areas.
Working directly with communities to address human–wildlife conflict is essential. By empowering them with such tools, they become part of the solution rather than simply feeling like victims. They have an immense role to play. Parks officials should encourage an attitude of wildlife protection—rather than just frustration from conflict with wildlife—by helping communities establish conservancies. With conservancies, landowners collectively set aside their land for conservation, typically in return for certain benefits. Often, those benefits take the form of employment and revenues. Community members may be employed as scouts to protect the land from poaching or resource extraction (such as the cutting down of wood). Similarly, conservancies often share tourism revenues with lodges built within its boundaries. For local residents, all of these efforts are much needed. These tools and training will provide some answers to the problems of human-animal conflict in the neighbourhood.
Each year on 3 March, World Wildlife Day presents an opportunity not only to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wildlife, but also turn attention to how to live alongside wildlife harmoniously and sustainably. Change of community mindsets is a prerequisite.
Forest damage caused by human-wildlife conflict can lead to reduced productivity and forest regeneration, affect restoration efforts, and result in serious economic consequences.
The problems caused by human-wildlife conflict in the broader sense of competition for land and resources has global consequences as the risk of disease transmission increases exponentially when wildlife, livestock, and humans come into close contact. Of emerging infectious diseases, more than 70% are zoonotic, originating from livestock and wildlife.
Human-wildlife conflict is thus a serious threat to food security, conservation, and human health. It also hinders progress towards achieving many of the Millenium Sustainable Developmental Goals.
In Zimbabwe, FAO and partners have helped local authorities and affected communities to formulate human-wildlife mitigation strategy, promote sustainable natural resource management for alternative livelihoods, and vaccinate livestock against foot-and-mouth disease.
There is need to bring together different stakeholders across sectors to formulate case-specific policies and strategies.
Effective early-warning systems, data collection, monitoring and reporting systems are vital for addressing human-wildlife conflict. Coexistence between humans and wildlife is only possible when communities recognize wildlife’s value and benefits.
Enhancing local commitments to prevent human-wildlife conflicts and halting the degradation of forest ecosystems are key to ensuring a brighter, developed future for all living beings, near the forests and beyond.
No single management strategy can prevent all crop raiding and the goal of management should not only be reducing the levels of crop raiding but also to raise the tolerance level of crop raiding by lessening its impact to farmers. No solution will work without site-specific knowledge of what is possible, practical or acceptable in a particular area. Human-wildlife conflict can be managed through a variety of approaches. Farmers should cooperatively keep their farms against crop and livestock raiders to minimize loss by using effective methods in an area.
Morgen Makombo Sikwila
MSc Peace and Governance
BSc Counselling
Diploma in Environmental
Certificate in Marketing Management
email address morgensikwilam@gmail.com
Phone Number: 0772823282
