'We co-existed with wild animals'

We were always advised to use a knife to collect melons and whatever was in the fields, otherwise just pulling by the hand would bring attention from wild animals, especially elephants. We called it tama, a taboo. There was a certain way of disposing of melon leftovers (dixhaba tsa magapu). You were not allowed to throw them into the thorn bushes, but we put them gently on the ground for cows and donkeys to eat outside letswabi, a traditional enclosed kraal-like farm dwelling. 

We observed taboos even when going for hunting in the bush, when going fishing in the river and even to collect thatching grass and reeds. It worked and we have experienced that and they know it. You break the norm, something strange might happen but we avoided that, so we observed the tradition and it is something we still hold to today.