04 Sep 2013

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has a challenge dealing with the problem of wildlife because of limited personnel and transport shortage, says Mr Ketshwereng Galeragwe, the chairperson of the Boteti Sub-council.

Opening a council meeting on September 2, Mr Galeragwe said the western part of the Boteti Sub-district was experiencing a high incidence of property damage by elephants. He noted that the sub-district was faced with a serious problem of human-wildlife conflict, which was worsened by the flowing Boteti River because it had become a water source.

Mr Galeragwe said wild animals crossed the river into communal areas where they either destroyed crops or killed livestock. Two hundred and eighty-three cases had been resolved and farmers compensated at an amount of P261 564, while 117 cases were still pending since the beginning of the current financial year.

As a way of resolving the conflict, he said, the Northern Botswana Human Wildlife Coexistence Project was being piloted in three wetlands of Chobe/Linyanti, Okavango and Makgadikgadi and the Boteti project was conducted in the villages of Khumaga and Moreomaoto.

The project engages proactive human wildlife conflict prevention strategies and skills development. The strategies include the use of chilli pepper and bee keeping to deter elephants from entering masimo; training of herding dogs to guard against predators; construction of predator proof kraals and planting of early maturing crop varieties.

Mr Galeragwe said since July 2013, four predator proof kraals were erected at Ngamisane, Menoakwena, Kweedumo and Tsoodobe cattle posts while a chilli pepper garden has been started at Khumaga. 

He said one tonne of chilli peppers bought from Zambia would be distributed to 80 farmers targeted for the pilot project and any farmer from surrounding villages who may request it for their fields. He also said early maturity seeds would be bought between September and October in preparation for the ploughing season. 

Herd dogs will also be bought for training at one of the farms which will be identified by the department. 

As for maintenance of the cordon fence that controls cattle from moving into Makgadikgadi National Park, Mr Galeragwe said the project was moving at a snail’s  pace. He said maintenance work was done by convicts on extra mural work. 

Progress on maintenance of the hence is disrupted by constant destruction by elephants and hippos as it divides their habitat; and also shortage of labour as convicts on extra mural duty complete their serving period at different time intervals, hence delaying progress of the project.  ENDS