Human Wildlife Conflict Escalates in Zambia as Population expands into Animal Zones

By KELVIN MBEWE

 

Chirundu, November – HUMAN wildlife conflict (HWC) continues to claim lives on both sides of the conflict. In the frontline areas of Chirundu, over 70 attacks have been recorded with villagers that survive bearing battle scars from this conflict.

“When I realized that my legs were still in the water I stretched out my hands to the people that where watching helplessly to pull me out. My nephew was the one who reached out first and the rest of the four people also joined and started pulling me out of the river, one of my legs was in the crocodile’s jaws and when they were pulling me out the crocodile was also pulling in the opposite direction,” said Elizabeth Chisulo of Chirundu’s Kapulira village.

 

Ms Chisulo is one of the six victims this year that either died or survived the jaws of crocodiles from both the Zambezi and Kafue rivers as villages fetch water from these rivers.

Other animals such as elephants, zebras, hippos are also eating most of the locals produce, a situation that is negatively affecting food security for the locals.

Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba said human wildlife conflicts are more prevalent in communities that live near protected areas and game management areas.

He said currently the number of human lives that have been lost due to human wildlife animal conflict stands at ten.

Hon. Sikumba said human wildlife has continued to be a major challenge affecting the wildlife conservation efforts.

He attributed increased cases of human wildlife conflict to population growth, bushfires poor agriculture practices and significant reduction of prey in game management areas.

The Minister disclosed that in the second quarter Zambia recorded 4,206 human wildlife conflict reports.

The Minister of Tourism cited Munchinga, Eastern, Lower Zambezi, Southern, Western and Kafue region as areas most of the reported human wildlife incidences.

Mr Sikumba explained that in the dry season African elephants’ herds often move out of the park at night in search of food in the surrounding areas.

He said due to lack of a buffer zone animals end up straying in communities between Livingstone and Kazungula.

In a ministerial statement to parliament on the issue of human wildlife conflict, the Tourism Minister said “The increase in human-wildlife conflict, which is currently being experienced, is largely attributed to the expansion of human settlements in protected areas through encroachment, blockage of wildlife corridors, introduction of livestock in game management areas (GMAs) and an increase in wildlife in some protected areas.”

The Minister said bad practices, such as timber logging, charcoal burning and unsustainable land use in GMAs, are affecting foliage, which is food for wildlife, especially elephants. As such, elephants were forced to wonder into nearby villages in search of food and in the process, cause human-wildlife conflicts. Therefore, the long-term solution is to educate our people, as we introduce the programme for alternative livelihoods in the affected communities.

And according to Kapulira village headman who keeps records of the attacks on humans by wild animals, a total number of over 70 people have been attacked by the reptiles in 2014 with females being the most victims as they are the ones that mostly fetch water for drinking, washing among other uses.

“We have a huge challenge on our hands which is the issue of an increase in wild animals, more especially crocodiles, they have finished our people. A lot of people have died while others are lucky to still be alive, and most of the victims are women because they are the ones who go to fetch water so when a woman cames back from fetching water we consider that as luck.” Said Mr Paspanodia.

And when contacted for a comment Chirundu town council said two big water reticulation projects have been earmarked for commissioning before 2024-year end.

A study by Angela Phiri, Inonge Milupi and others from the University of Zambia School of Education on human wildlife conflict in the South Luangwa Game Management Area, found that the cause of human wildlife conflict was over population, poverty and close proximity to the national park. The communities are very near to the national park which makes it easy for the wild animals to invade these communities. As a result, local communities disliked wildlife inhabiting in and around their surroundings. This has a great negative impact in conservation of the wildlife.

The main effects for the presence of strong human wildlife conflict in the study area include crop damage, human injury and loss of life, and property destruction are the human-wildlife conflicts taking place in the study area. The study further found that HWC in South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) has more negative impact on human beings than wildlife.

This is because wild animals were destroying more crops, livestock, killing people, and demolishing people’s houses than human beings were killing the animals. On the current mitigation measures put in place to resolving HWC in SLNP, the results indicated that the measures were ineffective. We therefore strongly recommend effective mitigation measures to be put in place in order to resolve HWC in SLNP.

Based on the obtained results of the present study, the following points are recommended in the study area:

• There is a need develop strategies of reducing HWC by local people, researchers, wildlife authorities and policy makers by finding mitigation measures for HWC. The strategies can include leaving sufficient conservation areas, better buffer areas for wildlife to move and sufficient connectivity of wildlife habitats so that they can freely move to get their living from the ecosystem.
• Government to start compensation scheme to those who suffer losses in the area. This could only be done if ZAWA Act is repealed to allow for compensation. · Government to employ more wildlife officers and improve workers’ salaries

The Ministry of Tourism announced that it will be exploring long-term measures aimed at reducing incidents or mitigating conflicts which include, but not limited to the following:

(a) improving law enforcement and wildlife habitat protection. In this regard, my ministry is actively engaging the Civil Service Commission (CSC) so as to expedite the recruitment and the deployment of 340 wildlife police officers. The Ministry of Finance and National Planning has already granted Treasury Authority to employ the wildlife police officers;

(b) improving community-based wildlife management across the country. In this respect, my ministry advertised to engage honorary wildlife police officers from members of the general public, including hon. Members of Parliament in constituencies, in GMAs. All this is an effort to effectively involve communities, including hon. Members of Parliament, in the management of human-wildlife conflicts across the country. So far, ninety-one applications have been received. We are yet to determine the number of hon. Members of Parliament who have applied to be honorary wildlife police officers;

(c) strengthening planning and developing implementation general management plans and tourism development area plans. This will ensure that human activity in protected areas is undertaken in a manner which mitigates human-wildlife conflicts;

(d) improving the policy and legislative landscape to provide the necessary anchor for sustainable wildlife management.

The Minister of Tourism said at the strategic level, the Government had continued to promote consistency in the development and implementation of General Management Plans (GMPs). The GMPs, set forth basic management and development philosophy 5 for the protected areas and provides land use strategies for addressing problems to achieving identified management objects over a set period of time.

“This is key to preventing trespassing and encroachment of all kinds. In order for us to have active early warning systems, the Government has continued to conduct regular monitoring of animal population and movement, coupled with early notification of communities and control to ensure animal densities stay within their recommended stocking rates. For effectiveness, the use of Global Position System (GPS) satellite callers and area surveillance for animal tracking will need to be scaled-up.,” said Rodney Sikumba, Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament for Livingstone Central.

Chirundu town council public relations officer Nakubiana Shabongo said this is in line with the Presidential directive by President Hakainde Hichilema to reduce distances that people have to walk to access clean water.

“Zambezi river authority has pledged a sum of K1.6 million and we have also committed a sum of K1.9 million of constituency development fund resources of the year 2023 to do the Lusitu water reticulation system which is a rehabilitation project that will be done by the Southern Water and Sewerage company who we recently signed an agreement with,” said Ms Shabongo.

She said Southern Water and Sewerage Company have mobilized and are on site in readiness to begin the rehabilitation works.

“The reason why we set up this project is because people in that ward have been complaining of using portable water which comes out when a borehole is sunk. We want to take clean water closer to them which is also in line with the presidential directive where he categorically said that we should reduce the distances of our people accessing clean and safe drinking water,” she said.

Ms Shabongo said the project will undoubtedly reduce the distances that people cover to get water as well as the chances of being feasted on by wild animals.

“As you are aware that people in rural areas cover distances of more than 15 kilometers just to access water and the minimum distances of about 7 kilometers. This is a huge project which is expected to benefit over 20, 000 people as it will benefit people in five different areas,” she said.

She named the areas as Njame, Nkandabwe, N’gombe Ilede, Mushungu and Lisitu.

ENDS////