Climate Change Perpetuates Human And Wildlife Conflict
By Thandy Tebogo
The survival of Mr. Hendrick Radijo’s economic livelihood is hanging by a thread due to marauding jumbos who are taking over his agricultural lands. This, he explains, is an anomaly as they used to live side by side with wild animals without any problems. “In the 1980s, we used to live peacefully with these endangered species as they had adapted to their natural environment. They knew their space, while we also minded our space” said the village elder. Khumaga village is situated alongside Makgadikgadi National Park.
He explains that trouble started when the hunting ban was introduced in Botswana around 2014, which saw elephant numbers increasing exponentially in the communal areas destroying people’s property. They destroyed crops in farms, injured people, destroyed boreholes and decimated trees. Radijo narrates that an elephant could break a gigantic tree over someone’s house causing serious damage.
In a move to address human-wildlife conflict, the government erected a game proof fence to prevent elephant movements into communal areas. Just when the residents thought the issue of problem animals was a thing of the past in their village, it has resurfaced again after the fence was vandalized.
As members of the affected village, they formed a committee that advocates on issues relating to human-wildlife conflict and this resulted in the government erecting the game proof fence once again. Radijo expresses that although the fence erection was not yet complete on the other side of the park, they were hopeful that it would bring a significant impact on their lives, affording them an opportunity to embark on food production without any interference.
For Ms. Bashai Boitatotswe of Khumaga, the elephant attacks are a cause for concern. She expressed grave concern saying that her efforts to engage in agricultural activities were disrupted by elephants that destroyed all her crops. Ms. Bashi farms along the riverside because it provides water for irrigation, however, the elephants had a field day on her farm. She explains that villagers feel hopeless because of the constant attack, emphasizing that there was no life in Khumaga, as they only survive through the poverty relief programme called Ipelegeng.
The Chairperson of Mokubilo Cooperative Society, Mr Thomas Maphane, who is spearheading a horticultural project with the aim to address malnutrition in the area said that their efforts have been crippled by elephants which destroy the crops. Mr Maphane indicated that they have attempted to install lights to scare away the elephants but the problem persists to date.
Climate variabilities are forcing wild animals to encroach into areas inhabited by humans as they move out of their habitats in search of water and vegetation. In some places, the human population in search of new grazing and farming areas as a result of drought move into wildlife habitats. These occurrences are presenting a dilemma as humans fight for space with wild animals which has both economic and social consequences. Climate and land use change are anticipated to alter the distribution of wildlife, due to their impact on the quantity and quality of forage availability, water cycle as well as competition for key resources.
According to a report on African zoology, it has been established that African elephant distribution was driven predominantly by changes in temperatures followed by changes in precipitation and land cover. Climate change and land cover are expected to worsen and become one of the major drivers for the loss of several wildlife species due to their impact on availability of water and forage.
Therefore, conservation and management of elephant populations under global change calls for careful design of migratory corridors as well as conservation of trans-frontier landscapes to enable dispersal of elephants and other associated species to a more conducive environment.
Consequently, farmers in the Boteti sub-district are reeling from this challenge as elephant populations increase during ploughing season. Farmers' efforts to boost food security in the sub-district have been frustrated by elephants ravaging their fields. The senior wildlife warden responsible for animal control, Mr Benjamin Maleta, explained that reports on damage from elephants increased during the ploughing season. The main issue, he said, was that there was shortage of land and as such communities moved into areas which were not previously occupied.
During the dry season, water points dry up and elephants end up searching for water in communal areas causing damage to people’s property and infrastructure. The main source of water in Boteti is the Boteti River, and elephants migrated to areas like Mokubilo and Khumaga. When the pans dry up, elephants camp in these areas, they do not change location and instead search for water in farmers’ boreholes, destroying them. In areas where there is no river they depend on water from these boreholes.
Wildlife officers are often deployed to hotspot areas like Mokubilo and Khumaga during the months of October, November and December. During the rainy season they move following vegetation for feed and they could be found in areas where they have never been found before. Both browsing and grazing land materials were reported to be in fair condition in areas within the sub-district during the current quarter.
Mr Maleta noted that elephants usually stay in areas which have less movement of people. Damages are expected to reduce only during the time when the rivers flow. In a move to reduce human wildlife conflict, the government has introduced elephant hunting, erection of Makgadikgadi game proof fence to prevent animals from entering communal areas. The department of wildlife and national parks also embarked on patrol and control of animal movement by using methods that could scare them.
Moreover, Mr Maleta urged farmers to educate themselves on how to behave in areas populated by elephants such as by refraining from traveling with dogs as that could rile them. He also encouraged farmers to apply traditional methods to scare the animals such as beating drums, burning chillies and electrification. Furthermore, he advised that farmers could apply for funding at the Conservation Trust Fund. Elephants, he said, destroyed vegetation and it was not easy for the vegetation to recover. In addition, he encouraged people to live harmoniously with the elephants since they are within their natural range.