KAZA is an area rich with wildlife that live alongside the many communities that often have farming at the heart of their livelihoods. Ensuring that there is human/wildlife harmony rather than conflict requires an understanding and appreciation of both the animal migration patterns and the local way of life.
The Zambezi Region of Namibia is a key corridor for lions and is critical for conserving wildlife in KAZA for a number of reasons:
- The Zambezi Region provides an important connection for animal movement.
- If wildlife populations were allowed to decline in this area, it would create a vacuum that would affect wildlife in the neighbouring countries.
- Lessons learned from conservation actions within the Zambezi Region can be useful for neighbouring countries.
Living alongside lions is one such challenge that very few of us can even begin to understand however this was something that farmers in the Zambezi region of Namibia, and in particular near Nkasa Rupara National Park, used to encounter.
As such, it has been of huge importance to support local farmers and to help them to protect their crops and livestock. To do this the Kwando Carnivore Project started building predator-proof livestock kraals (enclosures) to replace the more flimsy traditional kraals. Over 170 kraals have now been built in human/wildlife conflict hotspots and the loss of livestock from kraals has reduced by 90% and the reprisal killing of lions has reduced from 20 per year to just 1 or 2. This is a method that is hugely effective in protecting the cattle at night, but now the project is looking to extend their strategies. How do you look after the cattle during the day when they are grazing? The Project is reviewing the options of providing communities with Lions Guards who will be able to support the cattle herders in protecting the cattle whilst they are grazing.
The project has also spawned other opportunities in the community. One such social enterprise was the production of stronger gates for the new predator-proof kraals. A few years ago members of the team decided they could make gates for lion-proof kraals that are far stronger than shop bought gates. They were right and after investing in the equipment needed to make the gates themselves, they now manufacture gates from home. The project now buys gates from them at the same price they would pay at a distributor. Lucious Kukuwe has become an expert in handling the equipment and can take on large orders at a moment’s notice. The project hopes to expand these possibilities in the future but for now, Lucious and Coster’s gates keep thousands of cattle safe at night time when lions are prowling around.
Please take a look at their Facebook page to get a greater appreciation of all the work they are undertaking in this small but critical region of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge offers a sustainable tourism experience right in the heart of the Zambezi Region on the banks of the Kwando-Linyanti river system. The lodge and the Wuparo Conservancy are part of the successful and award winning Namibian conservancy program. If you would like to include a visit to the Kwando Carnivore Project then this is the ideal place to stay as you are blending many aspects of sustainable tourism, conservation and community upliftment.
For more information please see the following links:
