Story by Tamuka Charakupa
COMMUNITIES living in areas near wildlife sanctuaries have come up with local solutions to minimise conflict and protect their livestock.
In the Nyaminyami area and surrounding communities bordering the overpopulated Matusadona National Park, villagers have constructed elevated kraals, raised livestock enclosures approximately one metre above ground using locally sourced materials.
The structures, equipped with ramps and secure fencing, have significantly improved nighttime livestock security by preventing access by predators.
“It is a fact that we battle human-wildlife conflict daily. Over the years, I lost several goats to lions and hyenas—once, three goats in a single night. We are grateful for this intervention, as we now sleep with a sense of security,” local resident Japhet Chimbanga said.
“We are a community bordering the overcrowded Matusadona National Park, so human-wildlife conflict is frequent. However, we are coming together to find solutions so that we do not retaliate by killing wildlife,” added Henry Varandeni, another villager.
The elevated kraal concept is being supported by a local development partner, Wildlife Conservation Action (WCA), which is also providing wildlife-prone communities with solar-powered lion deterrent lights that flash throughout the night and predator-proof mobile enclosures to protect cattle in open grazing areas.
“Our strength lies in collaboration with government, traditional leadership, and partners such as the Lion Recovery Fund, WWF, and Tusk Trust. When communities lead their own conservation efforts, it stops being about survival—it becomes success,” Kudakwashe Chuma, WCA’s Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Project Assistant said.
Traditional leaders have praised the initiative, citing visible improvements in herd security and rural livelihoods.
“Indeed, there has been a great change. The government has put in strong measures to fight the tsetse fly, which was a nightmare for years, and now development partners are supporting us to protect our herds. We used to rely on wildlife for food, but now we are milking our cattle,” Chief Wellson Nebiri said.
Meanwhile, the government is finalising the establishment of the Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund, aimed at compensating victims of wildlife attacks and livestock losses.
This initiative is part of wider efforts to cushion communities in wildlife-prone regions and foster peaceful co-existence with nature.
