Wildlife Conservation Action, Zimbabwe

Fostering harmony: Young changemakers promoting coexistence between wildlife and communities in Zimbabwe

www.wildlifeconservationaction.org

ABOUT: Wildlife Conservation Action (WCA) was founded in 2019, dedicated to fostering coexistence between humans and wildlife in some of Zimbabwe’s most critical wildlife areas. By integrating indigenous knowledge and scientific expertise, WCA collaborates closely with local communities, innovating effective solutions for human-wildlife conflict that directly improve livelihoods while protecting wildlife populations, specifically lions and elephants. Like in many other parts of the continent, wildlife continues to face significant threats in Zimbabwe, with loss of habitat and conflict with people being the primary drivers of declining populations.

WCA is working to change this through conducting research to understand wildlife behavior and trends that then inform decisions and necessary interventions as well as non-lethal, culturally sensitive approaches such as predator-proof, strengthened kraals (enclosures for livestock), monitoring carnivore movement to alert farmers when their livestock is under threat. WCA also advises farmers on elephant mitigation, such as the use of chili pepper and bee fences to deter elephants from raiding crops and damaging property. WCA collaborates with the broader conservation and community livelihoods authorities to amplify their work and impact.

As a forward-thinking organization led by a young, vibrant and optimistic team, WCA also empowers the next generation of conservation leaders through internships for youths and university graduates. They also inspire a love for nature in school children through conservation clubs and support the inclusion of conservation education in the curriculum. By leveraging technology and adapting to the information age, WCA reaches out to diverse audiences, including urban residents, creating a broader understanding and support for conservation.

Impact:

Reduction in livestock predation:

Despite its short history in conservation, WCA has made substantial progress in human-wildlife conflict mitigation, especially human-carnivore conflict mitigation. They have successfully established 125 mobile bomas and strengthened over 700 traditional kraals, significantly decreasing reported livestock killings. From 2021 - 2023, for example, there were no cases of livestock predation in bomas, unlike in the past years, where 3-5 predation cases in kraals were reported monthly.

Increasing tolerance for wildlife by communities:  

WCA actively involves the community in mitigating conflicts with wildlife by using non-lethal methods. They have trained and employed 16 community guardians who assist with constructing mobile bomas, assessing kraals, and strengthening them for vulnerable community members, and attend to reported cases of human-wildlife conflict in the target communities. This approach has been well-received, as it shifts from killing problem animals to finding peaceful solutions. Since the introduction of mobile bomas in Nyaminyami, there have been no reports of livestock attacks in bomas and strengthened kraals, leading to a higher demand for these protective structures.

Food security:

The sections of the districts that WCA work in are low rainfall areas with poor sodic soils, and as a result, most households are food insecure. The mobile boma concept has proven to significantly help increase crop yields. In Nyaminyami, households involved in the use of mobile bomas said that crop productivity increased on plots where the bomas were rotationally situated. They reported that bomas improve soil fertility as the cattle dung is incorporated into the soil when cattle are confined in the boma.

“When we have conflicts between wildlife and people, everyone loses…So [WCA] focuses on community oriented solutions…We believe that we need to not only reduce the costs that these communities face from living with wildlife, but we also need to incentivize the protection of wildlife. This can be done through real benefits that communities can get from living alongside wildlife.”

-Moreangels Mbizah, ED of Wildlife Conservation Action in Zimbabwe