11 Dec 2016

Farmers at Jwage cattle-posts near Tsetseng in the Letlhakeng Sub-district have been advised to come up with strategies and better solutions to control and reduce predation on their livestock.
Speaking at a one-day engagement workshop organised by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks at the cattle-posts recently, head of extension in the department, Mr Kgosietsile Tau said even though they were aware that high numbers of livestock loss was impoverishing the farmers, poisoning was not the best of solutions to addressing the matter.
He advised them that other measures such as building stronger kraals and the use of livestock guard dogs could help control predators.
On other issues, he informed farmers that government had come up with an arrangement of assisting families of people killed by dangerous predators like lions and elephants with funeral expenses.
Mr Botilo Tshimologo of Birdlife Botswana also informed the farmers that in their attempt to kill predators by lacing meat with poison, they would end up killing the already endangered vultures which balanced the ecosystem.
He said should the vultures continue to be killed in high numbers, there would be a high spread of carcasses in the environment and this would have negative impact on the ecosystem.
For his part, the education and community officer at Leopard Ecology and Conservation at Khutse Game Reserve, Mr Tshepo Tsito advised the farmers to take responsibility of their livestock and desist from letting them roam around unattended as it made them susceptible to attack by predators.
He noted that the fight against predation should be a collaboration between the wildlife officers and farmers.
He also advised them to vaccinate their livestock well in time and buy them supplements to boost their market value. ends