Villagers Bear Brunt of Human-wildlife Conflict

Reportedly, elephants cause most fatalities during human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe. Image by Stock photos

BY GEORGINA SOKO | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | JULY 29, 2022

An increase in human-wildlife conflict has claimed lives, and left villagers counting losses. And now the ban on ivory trade has exacerbated the situation.

HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) — Hlanganani Dube of Mabale village says he is lucky to be alive.
 
As he adjusts his sitting posture on a wooden traditional chair, Dube recalls how he miraculously escaped the jaws of death when a jumbo decided to spare his life.
 
The events of the fateful day will remain etched in his memory, he says.
 
“I still don’t know why the elephant didn't finish me off and decided to spare my life. It’s still a mystery to me and I consider myself lucky to have lived to tell the tale,” Dube says.
 
Dube was left with permanent injuries, and is unable to do any physical work, including attending to his cattle and fending for his children.

Dube says communities such as his that are adjacent Hwange National Park are at the mercy of human-wildlife conflict particularly from elephants.

He feels communities must be given a voice in wildlife management and conservation.
 
Chief Nelukoba of Hwange and his counterpart Chief Matupula of Tsholotsho whose areas share boundaries with Hwange National Park told delegates during a recent African Elephant Conference that communities must not be left behind in wildlife conservation.
 
“We cannot continue to ignore the fact that communities are paying dearly and bearing the cost of conserving elephants,” Chief Nelukoba says.
 
“It's very unfair that there's no compensation for the loss of crops, livestock and human life due to wild animal attacks.”

Statistics from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) show that 35 people have been killed by wild animals across the country since January, with the bulk being victims of elephant attacks.

Recently, two Hwange residents Israel Ndaba and Obert Sigola were trampled to death by elephants on their way home.
 
Zimparks says the country's jumbo population has risen to almost 90 000, more than twice the 45 000 it can sustain resulting in human animal conflict.
 
Elephant culling was abandoned several years ago following the promulgation of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which imposed a global ban on ivory trade.

According to official reports, the country currently has a 136 tonnes stockpile of US$600 million worth of ivory and rhino horn.

The central government recently appealed to the European Union to assist in having the unilateral ban on ivory trade lifted.

The government contends that it is spending resources protecting elephants and rhinos without unlocking any value.
 
Zimbabwe is among several African countries that are pushing for the revocation of the ban on elephant culling.

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They argue that lifting the ban will assist in generating money to support sustainable wildlife conservation efforts.
 
At the elephant conference, ministers and senior government officials from South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe produced a position paper titled: Hwange Declaration on the Conservation of the African Elephant.
 
It emphasises the need to involve local communities in the decision making on matters to do with elephant management and conservation.

*Edited by Lizwe Sebatha, fact checked/proofread by Melody Mpande and reviewed by Divine Dube.

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