Human-Wildlife conflicts in Mwanachingwala conservation area(MCA) Kafue Flats of Zambia

Abstract

The study of the human-wildUfe conflicts in MCA Kafue flats was done in the month of August. The study used a structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and individual intennews unth randomly chosen individuals. Descriptive SPSS software was used to analyze the data at two levels: the whole data and data according to major economic actii/ities of Fishing, Crop production and cattle herders. Twelve villages and one fishing camp were surveyed. The results indicated 19.39 % of crop farmers (17.39 % of local people) were affected by the damage caused by wildlife to crops and the Monkey/Impalas accounted for 66.67 % of this conflict. From the results human-croc/hippo conflicts affected 76.92 % of the fishermen (29 % of the local people) resulting into a loss of 13 human lives in the study year. Most of the croc/hippo attacks (75 %) happened in the Kafue River and at night (90 %). At the time of study, the MCA management through free tick control measures and a planned grazing overlap design were mitigating livestock-wildlife conflicts. The study concluded that the human-wildlife conflicts in the MCA Kafue flats could be either destructive, aggressive or as health risk to the residents and their possession. The combined effects of these conflicts were observed in the increasing levels of poaching activities and animal damage intolerance. Higher wildlife damage tolerance by the local people and more proactive means when resolinng a conflict with an animal were recommended.