09 May 2022

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the conservation sphere have been advised to partner with government to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, and better serve the victims. 

Speaking at a fund-raising dinner organised by Okavango Human Wildlife Conflict Foundation (OHWCF) in Maun on Saturday, the Director of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), Dr Kabelo Senyatso said civil society and government should be driven by the interest to serve members of the public who were negatively impacted by wildlife. 

Dr Senyatso suggested a pragmatic approach to addressing human/wildlife conflict, and pro-actively reduce its impact, which he said escalated during the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

He said from the 2019/2020 financial year to date, they registered 8920 compensation reports, in which 19 people were killed by wildlife, while 23 sustained injuries, in Ngamiland district alone. 

These, he said, amounted to over P24 million paid out by the government in compensation, adding the numbers were an indication that human/wildlife conflict was a real problem in the area. 

The problem, he said extended to the Kavango Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA), which had a large concentration of the Big Five. 

Dr Senyatso said encroachment by wildlife into settlements and humans into wildlife areas, and shortage of critical resources such as water and forage in protected areas, were the major causes of human/wildlife conflict. 

He said to mitigate the shortage of critical resources, DWNP drilled wildlife boreholes and ponds to keep animals inside conservation area, adding that as a long term solution, the department was working to convert 20 wildlife diesel-powered boreholes to solar, to improve efficiencies and down-time. 

He said the department was working with Botswana Railways to educate train operators on how to deal with elephants. 

Dr Senyatso further highlighted the need for land use zoning interventions that could help reduce interaction between humans and wildlife, which was where organisations like OHWCF should come in with proposals for solutions.  He also challenged the civil society to complement government’s compensation efforts, as currently, the scheme did not cover injuries sustained from wildlife attacks. 

“What is OHWCF proposing to do to help combat anti-hunting lobby groups and other people who oppose lethal control and legal offtake of wildlife, which has proven to help reduce HWC?” he asked rhetorically. 

He continued: “In April this year, there were cases recorded of people killed by wildlife, yet the deaths of these people were never given any prominence -certainly not by international media -yet a legally hunted elephant in NG13 is causing an uproar!” he said, and urged OHWCF to make its voice heard on such matters. 

At community level, he said income generated from wildlife usage could be used to mitigate human/wildlife conflict, adding the civil society could help in the development of sound plans for improvement. 

Dr Senyatso further said organisations like OHWCF should help finance research on human/wildlife conflict, as evidence based on research remained key in conservation policy development. 

He assured OHWCF of his department’s support, where its interventions clearly benefitted local communities and wildlife. Giving welcome remarks, OHWCF’s Ms Wabotlhe Letubo said the foundation was determined to support reduction of human/wildlife conflict between humans and wildlife. 

That, she said included through custom-built programmes, stakeholders networking and engagement, enhanced cooperation and strategic partnership in advancing national conservation goals and support of human/wildlife conflict mitigation. 

Ms Letubo said the foundation also applied participatory mitigation approaches, which included problem animal movement monitoring and awareness raising documentation, restorative responses to injuries on humans by wildlife, charity work and supporting translocation of certain animals from community areas, among others. 

The dinner was held under the theme: “Towards a collective support to mitigate human wildlife conflict”, with a slogan ‘wildlife conservation is our responsibility’.

OHWCF was launched in May last year with the aim of reducing the negative impact of human/wildlife conflict on people that live within conflict areas; by ensuring that the conflict does not threaten the existence of both wildlife and humans through proactive measures.Ends