Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources has recommended that the government officials learn from Tanzania’s approach to managing human-wildlife conflict.
This recommendation follows a benchmark visit by members of parliament to Tanzania last year to study strategies and policies there.
The committee’s report highlights that Tanzania commonly relocates problem animals, such as elephants and crocodiles, to areas far away from human habitats.
Crocodiles are moved to rivers less frequented by people, while elephants are deterred from entering human habitat by the use of chilli bombs.
Tanzania has also built crocodile enclosures in areas where humans and animals share water sources, reducing the risk of attacks.
Other methods include animal collaring to track and control movements, the construction of water points in protected areas to minimise human-wildlife encounters, and wildlife patrols by rangers.
The Tanzanian government has developed a National Human-Wildlife Conflict Management Strategy focusing on community-based mitigation, benefits to communities, coexistence, education, research, and monitoring.
Public awareness programs and training on adapting to wildlife are also key components of their approach.
They said that they were informed that in the event of a death, the Tanzanian government compensates victims with US$200 for a cow (N$3724.35) and US$25 (N$465.54) for a goat.
Namibia faces similar challenges, particularly in the Kavango and Zambezi regions, where human-wildlife conflict has resulted in fatalities and livestock losses.
In 2023, it was reported that 33 people and 862 livestock were killed by wild animals between 2019 and 2023.
Last week, a couple from Nkoro village in the Kavango West region sustained serious injuries when a crocodile attacked the wife while they were fishing at night. The husband, Martin Kambimba, wrestled the crocodile to save his wife, Theresia Kayiwa.
The government pays human-wildlife victims N$100 000 for disability caused by wild animals.
Farmers who lose a sheep are paid N$800, and the loss of a horse is compensated with N$1 500, a donkey is N$1 000 and the payment for a pig is N$1 000.
