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Human/Wildlife Conflict: How it risks and affects lives

Elephants. FILE PIC
Elephants. FILE PIC

The Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is the conflict between humans and animals struggling to coexist or share the environment according to a paper by Modise, Lekoko, Thakadu & Mpotokwane titled Toward sustainable conservation and management of human–wildlife interactions in the Mmadinare Region of Botswana: villagers’ perceptions on challenges and prospects (University of Botswana, 2018).

The conflict affects both animals and humans in different ways. What happens is, animals roam residential areas searching for water or simply crossing by. The residents then proceed to try to defend themselves by killing the animal or at least trying to kill it. Meanwhile, the animal will also act and most probably a person will lose their life, and that is why we call it the human-wildlife conflict.

Farmers’ livestock and crops get destroyed and eaten by wild animals, like hyenas that eat the livestock and elephants that would run through their fences and crops, and they would be left with nothing afterwards, “we need to strive for survival” Jack Ramsden (an interviewed farmer said). According to Botswana’s government, 45 people have been killed by elephants in recent years and there have been more than 8,000 cases recorded of human-wildlife conflict.- eNCA says (24/06/19 at 10:46 am)

Editor's Comment
Don't let FMD outbreak drag on

Acting Agriculture Minister, Edwin Dikoloti, is right in saying opening an export-ready facility whilst Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is still spreading would risk getting the whole country blacklisted before a single carcass leaves the door.A ban like that would break the already stressed nation. So, the postponement, painful as it is, is the right thing to do. The local economy is being squeezed from both ends. FMD has already slammed the door...

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