The Sunday News
The other week I wrote a piece about predator control, wherein I strongly advocated for means to enable livestock farmers to control predators that are preying on their animals.
The import of the submission being that livestock farmers should be empowered to even kill predators preying on their livestock albeit in a controlled and sustainable manner.
As a result of the article, I got feedback from one reader who was not amused at all by the suggestion proffered of killing predators such as lions and hyenas that prey on farmer’s livestock. I could not establish the name nor the gender of the reader as the feed back was via a text message.
His/her argument was that there is so much hullaballoo about predation when in fact predators only constitute a very minute percentage of wildlife population while domesticated livestock have been growing exponentially in numbers and humans encroaching onto wildlife zones thereby reducing home ranges for predators.
wildlife
Home ranges simply mean the area which a predator traverses looking for prey. Its hunting ground.
He/she argued that there is a need to be cognisant of the need to strike a biological balance that ensures biodiversity and maintains a certain equilibrium within the ecosystem such that all species of flora and fauna can thrive.
It was a compelling submission which activated my conservationist side, having had a run in that sector in my other life!
He/she also argued that growth in livestock numbers and human population as well as settlement has destroyed the traditional prey for predators and now, they come for domesticated livestock, not because this is their primary source of feed but a mere secondary option.
My initial and natural reaction was to engage defence mode but on processing further I appreciated the submission, and this inspires this week’s instalment.
human population
The main thrust of my submission being that there is a need to realign our approaches at ministerial level to ensure that the ministry that deals with environment and wildlife works hand in hand with the agriculture ministry so that their actions are complementary rather than competitive.
Let the wildlife authority which falls under the ministry of environmental, understand the angle and need of the livestock farmer, such that the department of national parks is not only wired to protect wildlife with little regard to losses and tribulations that these are bringing to the livestock farmer.
livestock farmer
Conversely, Agritex which is the extension arm of Government under the Ministry of Agriculture should be concerned not only about their livestock farmers, but also on how they relate with the environment, especially the wildlife, so that there is harmony between nature and agriculture production!
In other words, these two ministries should be able to work together and have activities and programmes that address both needs, that is for livestock farmers and for the environment and wildlife.
As an example the Department of National Parks which is the custodian of wildlife in general, including the predators that torment livestock farmers, should be able to work with Agritex to provide relevant training in predation prevention and control, rather than to just come charging and frothing because villagers have killed a marauding lion whose presence in the community has been reported with no response from the same authority on allegations of having no resources to attend to the problem animal, but somehow the resources suddenly surface in abundance when the lion has been hunted down by villagers!
Lions- Image taken from The Independent
In fact, it is imperative that we dissuade ourselves from the notion that our community members have no conservation mentality but simply want to exterminate the animals. These villagers have lived in harmony with nature for several generations, even before the concept of protected areas!
The import of my submission, inspired by the feed back from an unamused reader, is that let the two ministries that I have alluded to above have a jointly crafted strategy that emphasises synergies and, complementary efforts between the two as opposed to competition and conflict.
Livestock exist in the community and wildlife exist alongside the same communities, therefore let’s find the middle ground that enables us to keep the delicate equilibrium of biodiversity as well as promoting livestock production.
Uyabonga umntaka MaKhumalo.
Mhlupheki Dube is a livestock specialist and farmer. He writes in his own capacity. Feed back [email protected], cell 0772851275
