Human animal conflict rages on in south-western Zimbabwe

Source: ZimConservation

Date: 8 August 2007

Author: Thabang Matebula

BULAWAYO, 8 August 2007 - Dozens of wild animals are being killed monthly as the human-animal conflict worsens between stray and problem wildlife from the Gariya Safari area and villagers in the Gariya and Mgodi-Masili communal areas of Tsholotsho in south-western Zimbabwe.

In a visit to the area, zimconservation.com learnt that villagers had resorted to trapping and killing animals such as elephants  elephants, buffaloes, kudus and impala that strayed out of the safari areas or the nearby Hwange National Park were being killed by both poachers and communities whose crops they destroyed in search of food.

Apart from destroying crops, animals like leopard, rhinocerous, lions, buffaloes and elephants have killed or maimed dozens of people, especially when enraged after being attacked by poachers or surviving a snaring attempt.

In interviews, villagers said they had a long history of contact with problem animals. In the past such animals could be reported to the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority or the Communal Areas Management Programme For Indigenous Resorces (CAMPFIRE), an organisation committed to the harmonisation of the balancing of conservation objectives with community development. However, both organisations now have neither the manpower nor the resources to help communities deal with problem animals without having to slaughter them.

"We have always had trouble with animals, but CAMPFIRE had always helped. The animals could be driven back to the parks by PWMA rangers even after causing extensive trouble. But nowadays no one is helping, so the villagers have resorted to defending themselves to save lives. Elephants and rhinos have trampled many people here. So far, three have been killed by roaming elephants or nearly gouged to death by buffaloes.

"The latest was incident involved a woman who trampled by an elephant near her garden last week. The animal disappeared but there is still a massive hunt to locate and kill it. It is dangerous, when an animal kills one person, it develops such contempt towards humans such that its encounters with them leads to a killing or maiming," said 65 year-old Sitshoni Ndlovu, a community elder at Mgodi-Masili.

Ndlovu told zimconservation.com that ivory hunters and illegal trophy seekers had also entered the fray by taking advantage of so-called problem animals and killing them under the guise of legal hunters contracted by the PWMA to put the animals down. "These people know that there is no presence of parks rangers here. They keep their ears to the ground, detecting and tracing the movement of problem animals outside the parks and safari areas. They then turn up and approach village leadership saying they have been sent by the parks authority to put down the problem animals. They then kill the animals. take the ivory, hooves and hides leaving the villagers with a feast of wild meat. They are smart operators who come all the way from Bulawayo," said Ndlovu. He counted more than 10 animals killed in various encounters with communities since the beginning of the year.

The conflict rages throughout the year as animals are alway attracted to the villages by one crop or another. In the November-April period, the animals come for the maize crops and melons, which are favourites for warthogs and other big game. In the May-September period, river-side nutrition gardens full of greens attract the animals which are also drawn to the garden by a search for water along the same rivers on the banks of which the gardens are located.

"There is never a moment of peace. So the communities now have special taskforces of accomplished traditional hunters and trappers who kill all dangerous animals like elephant, lion, buffalo,leopard and hyenas. Some of the animals are a threat to livestock, crops and human life at the same time, so they are killed without delay and the ivory handed over to local CAMPFIRE structures. We expect a considerable rise in the number of animals roaming through the communities next month, when most water sources and pans in the parks areas dry. We will soon be sharing our water with more wild animals. In the process we will lose more livestock to predators, more nutrition gardens will be gobbled up by elephants and there is a possibility of human deaths when the herds come in droves," said a community-based "game ranger."

A senior parks officer based at Hwange National Park confirmed that the human-animal conflict was a permanent feature of relations with almost all communities bordering the park and isolated safari areas. "All communities that share a boundary with parks have trouble with animals which rightfully belong to the national parks or safari areas. The problem is that while we have the obligation to follow up and control animals, including those living in the wild, we have since lost the capacity to do that at the moment. We need far more game rangers than we have at the moment to patrol the designated parks areas. So where can we get the extra men and resources to follow up problem animals, which often move solo and are highly deceptive. They need a commitment of the very resources which we do not have at the moment, and are unlikely to posess in the near future," he said.

He said the killing of wild animals remained illegal if done without PWMA authority even if the communities can prove that the animal had indeed caused loss or damage. Asked what communities should do in the light of the PWMA's lack of capacity to to control the problem animals, he said they should report to the police, who could also send men or ask the army for help in cases of emergency.

Deputy environment minister Andrew Langa refused to comment on the matter and instead launched a tirade against zimconservation.com, which he said was bent on publishing stories that created a wrong impression on poaching and alleging wanton killing of wild animals in Zimbabwe. "The communities will approach me if they have a problem. But what is your interest in this, you who have a long history of publishing lies about supposed poaching which has gone out of control in this country?" asked Langa.