09 Sep 2014

Boteti Sub-district is faced with serious challenges of human-wildlife conflict since 2009 to date.

Boteti Sub-council chairperson, Mr Ketshwereng Galeragwe said during the council session held in Letlhakane on September  3 that a total of 3 098 animal incidents were received with an amount of P2 819 201 being spent on compensation. 

The situation, he said was exacerbated by the overflowing of Boteti river. To address some of the challenges, Mr Galeragwe explained that government had entered in to partnership programme with the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility to carry out the northern Botswana human-wildlife coexistence project.

In Boteti sub-district, he said, the project was being piloted in two villages being Khumaga and Moreomaoto with the aim of mitigating human-wildlife conflict through proactive human-wildlife conflict prevention strategies and skills development. 

The strategies, he said include the use of chilli pepper to deter elephants from raiding ploughing fields, the use of herding dogs to guard against predators, construction of proper kraals, ploughing of early maturing seeds and bee keeping as a way of flashing elephants entering ploughing fields.

He noted that since implementation of the project in 2010 to date, 84 beehives boxes, 84 dummies, seven beehive fences among others, have been constructed in Khumaga and Moreomaoto.

In addition, he said maintenance of Makgadikgadi game proof fence that controls cattle from moving in to Makgadikgadi National Park was ongoing, although little progress had been achieved.

Mr Galeragwe stated that 37 kilometres had been covered since October 2013 to date, saying slow progress was attributed to constant destruction of the fence elephants and hippos as it divides their habitants.

The government, he said was still in consultation meetings with communities of Khumaga, Moreomaoto and Rakops concerning realignment of Makgadikgadi fence. ENDS