Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Education remains a key factor in reducing human wildlife which is a cause for concern in the country, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni has said.
Minister Nyoni revealed this on Friday in an interview after the inaugural meeting with the ZimParks Board.
“I think we need to educate our people on how to live with wildlife and also to empower ZimParks so that to we separate human beings and wildlife.
“Wildlife comes to where people are, to look for food, to look for water but if ZimParks makes sure that the parks are well equipped, they have enough water, there is enough space for the wildlife, this conflict will be minimised.
“But also to educate our people not to necessarily just go into the parks.
“We also need to supply resources and amenities to our people, make sure they have enough water, enough food on their side, so that they don’t have to go in the parks to look for firewood, to look for water and whatever other needs they may have.
“But also not to tease animals and to know which paths they take in the community and try avoid that and I expect the board to be active in educating the communities around ZimParks on how to live with animals,” she said.
Dr Agrippa Sora
Similar sentiments were also echoed by the ZimParks Board Chair, Dr Agrippa Sora, who said they have a huge task ahead of them as the issue of human wildlife conflict is a challenge.
“One of the areas that we would want to focus on is the issue of human wildlife conflict. This is an issue which is discussed almost on a daily basis especially by communities that live close to our parks.
“The conflicts with elephants, lions, crocodiles as well and what we need to do first is to educate our people so that they live in harmony.
“Usually there are conflicts because people have gone on to destroy the buffer zone that exists between communities and the parks so we need really to respect that.
“Because for example, an elephant does not forget its old path, the path that was used by its grandfathers and so forth, the elephant remembers and they find that people have settled there.
“And then another issue which brings conflict is where you grow water melons and these are the pleasure of elephants, definitely they will go and destroy your crops.
“So we would want to educate our people so that we don’t end up with so many cases of human wildlife conflict,” said Dr Sora.
He added that the other conflicts involves crocodiles and as ZimParks they have a programme where they are encouraging communities to have fishponds and they provide fingerlings, so as to deter communities from going to the rivers to fish.
“There are more deaths recorded from crocodiles than elephants, people may not know.
“The other areas that we are looking at is vegetable gardens where our people are supported to have these gardens so that they appreciate.
“Some people go into conflict with animals, not because animals have encroached in their land, but because they are poachers and they go into the parks.
“And we need to educate people that even poaching for the pot is poaching and we have commercial poaching so we don’t want our people to go into the parks,” he added.
It is reported that 50 lives were lost last year as a result of human wildlife conflict.
