Namibian Sun
Ellanie Smit
January 17, 2019
See link
<https://www.namibiansun.com/news/human-wildlife-incidents-rise-to-8-0002019-01-17/>
for photo.
A total of 8 067 human-wildlife conflict incidents were recorded in
Namibia’s conservancies during 2017.
These were recorded in 71 of the country’s 83 conservancies and there are
indications that the figure might be and underestimation of the situation
on the ground.
Human-wildlife conflict has more than doubled since 2004, when a total of 2
936 incidents were recorded in only 31 conservancies. In 2016 the figure
stood at 6 331 incidents in 69 conservancies.
This information is contained in the 2017 State of Community Conservation
in Namibia report.
According to the report the general increase in human-wildlife conflict is
mostly due to the increase in the area covered by conservancies.
“However, livestock attacks increased considerably during 2017.”
In 2017 there were on average of 106 general attacks and 0.2 on people, per
conservancy.
There were an average of 91.1 livestock attacks and 13.1 incidents of crop
damage, per conservancy, in 2017.
In 2014, when 82 conservancies held audits, there were 7 774 incidents
reported. This was the only year that more than 80 conservancies reported
human-wildlife conflict incidents.
However, the highest number of incidents were reported were 9 228 in 2013,
when 79 conservancies held audits.
The report indicated that in the Zambezi Region, animals that caused the
most conflict in 2017 were elephants, with 380 incidents recorded, while
200 conflict incidents were caused by crocodiles and 180 by hyenas.
In the Erongo and Kunene Regions about 700 conflict incidents were recorded
involving hyenas, 590 involving cheetah and 400 involving elephants.
The report said there were about 160 conflict incidents involving lions in
the Kunene and Erongo regions, with 8% of these lions being killed.
“This demonstrates that lions are not so much killed for the damage they
cause but because of the danger or perceived threat these species pose to
farmers themselves.”
The report said incidents have increased due to the increase in wildlife
populations and the shifting movement patterns of humans and wildlife, in
response to drought.
“However, the average number of incidents per conservancy remains generally
stable. Crop protection from raiders, especially elephants, remains a major
problem in the northeast.”