28 Aug 2014

The Northern Botswana Human/Wildlife Co-existence Project that is being piloted at the Okavango Sub-district is progressing well and producing positive results.

The main objective of the project is to mitigate human-wildlife conflict through proactive prevention interventions in selected rural communities in Northern Botswana and to offer local people in the project areas employment choices in wildlife-based tourism to benefit directly from the presence of wildlife. The project was piloted in three districts of Chobe, Okavango and Boteti.

In Okavango, the project was launched from Seronga to Gudingwa villages. In an interview, chief wildlife warden, Mr Mpho Setlhogile said the five-year project which is funded by Botswana Government in partnership with the World Bank to the tune of P41 million has made a significant improvement in addressing the issue of human/wildlife conflict.

He said the project mainly focused on prevention measures on tested conflict mitigation based on elephant deterrents which can easily be demonstrated and supported, while also piloting additional approaches to mitigate livestock-predator conflict.

The interventions applied include elephant deterrents such as the use of capsicum deterrents such as chilli pepper, African honey bees while on predator conflict mitigation, interventions such as herding dogs and predator proof kraals were used.

Mr Setlhogile said farmers are impressed by the methods used as there is a lot of improvement adding that most of the beneficiaries had given testimonies. He said cases of damage caused by elephants and predators had declined significantly as compared to the previous years.

He said they set a target of 33 per cent and currently they had exceeded it.

He explained that in the areas where the project was piloted, they identified some fields and cattle posts and all the necessary materials was brought to demonstrate and see if the project would work. In addition, he revealed that the beneficiaries were taught that they could mix the pounded chill pepper with grease, soak a cloth inside the mixture and put it along their field fence.

“Elephants could pick the strong smell and as they come closer, they change direction. Another method is to mix chill pepper with elephant dung then dry the mixture to make chill bricks and if you put it on fire the smoke would chase away elephants,” he added.

Mr Setlhogile also observed that they encouraged farmers to plant chill pepper along the field fence. Regarding the usage of African honey bees, beneficiaries were taught to keep the bees inside some boxes and hang them around the fields. He said researchers have indicated that the frequency in which the bees buzz is just too much in elephant ears and at the same time the bees would bite the elephants on soft spots.

He also revealed that the predator conflict mitigation concept is also doing wonders to beneficiaries. He said they were encouraged to build strong kraals to prevent predators from seeing what is inside. Mr Setlhogile said the five- year project which is coming to an end next year, would produce expected results, adding that their aim is to roll it to other districts. He urged the community at large to change the mindset and appreciate the concept noting that in the long term, they would have impressive results. ENDS