Human Wildlife Conflict

Livingstone airport. Zambia. A one room international terminal. It is packed with tourists who have just enjoyed safaris to Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park in Botswana and boat trips along the Zambezi River. Boarding the airplane there is one scanner, we wait in the long line. A tall striking looking man walks in, a nurse follows him. She is holding a young boy with a cast on his leg and bandages on his head. He is six years old. He rests his head on the nurse’s shoulder. Sad eyes. They go through the security, the man is clearly flustered, his mind elsewhere. He walks through the scanner with his bag, has to back track, forgets to remove his shoes. The man just buried his wife. Yesterday. She was killed by an elephant. The boy survived the attack. Human-wildlife conflict. A major issue in Africa on which we work. With proper planning, there is plenty of space for wildlife and humans to co-exist. Corridors need to be large enough, animal pens (bomas) need to be lion proofed, herding practices need to be adjusted, farms lined with chili fences (elephant do not like chili peppers) and villages need to be properly located. With an increase in population and habitat fragmentation, the challenge continues to escalate.