19 Aug 2013

Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MWET), Mr Tshekedi Khama has called for the management of co-existence of humans and wildlife so as to lessen the human-wildlife conflict.

The minister was speaking at presentation of the 2012 Aerial Survey Report of animal population in Gaborone on August 16.

 Mr Khama said the success of the survey was based on the inputs and not the criticisms and urged participants to work towards finding a solution and understanding of why numbers of wildlife were increasing or declining. This, he said could not be done in isolation by the department alone.

“As you might all be aware of the impact they have on Batswana, we have had complaints of fields damaged by kudus and elephants,” he said.

He further commended the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Botswana Police Service, Department of Wildlife Anti-Poaching Unit and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services for the mammoth task they were doing in conserving wildlife.

The minister further told participants that he will insist that the wildlife policy takes into account a holistic approach to wildlife management irrespective of where the wildlife was and who owns wildlife, noting that this will help build the resource together.

He called on participants to put in place conservation measures, adding that conservation must not just be conversation, but should be a way of life.

Meanwhile the 2012 dry season aerial survey which covered the whole country showed an overall trend of animal population that show a mixed pattern with a number of species stable and a few species either increasing or declining.

Deputy Wildlife Officer, Dr Cyril Taolo who presented the report said the survey showed a significant increase in the elephant and Zebra population and a population decrease of warthog, wildebeest, giraffe, sitatunga and waterbuck in the Okavango Delta.

Dr Taolo said the downward trends have elicited appropriate management responses such as anti-poaching measures, improved wildlife monitoring, water provision and a hunting ban from 2014.

He said locally, over abundant species such as elephant also require management to reduce impacts on their species and the environment. Ends