In mid-September, Rethabile Setlalekgomo, our Human-Wildlife Coexistence (HWC) Coordinator, in collaboration with representatives from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Problem Animal Control Unit – Mr. Lebotse and Mr. Kwenaemang, hosted a workshop with the Kacgae community, which included farmers and village leadership. The aim of this session was to introduce the HWC department and the farming community to each other and seek their support as we explore ways to work together in reducing human-wildlife conflict and promoting coexistence.
The team shared their plans to conduct questionnaire surveys with farmers, with DWNP highlighting the importance of community involvement to ensure that no one is left out of future programs. Rethabile also presented some of the HWC mitigation measures currently in place, while explaining that their first actions will be to gather information such that they may better understand the conflict levels at various cattle posts before committing to specific actions. Both DWNP and CCB stressed the importance of reporting predation cases to DWNP offices, as these reports help verify and guide findings from surveys, such as the one about to be undertaken.
We remain ever grateful for the collaborative relationships we have with farming communities, village leadership, and government departments as they make the work of building comprehensive understanding of coexistence and conservation more efficient and sustainable. With project activities in New Xade having started in 2023 – with trials of the horse patrol programme, which developed into a fully-fledged operation with support from the Lion Recovery Fund – this expansion is a great milestone and reminder of the need for continuous growth to understand the dynamic landscape we operate in.
The team shared their plans to conduct questionnaire surveys with farmers, with DWNP highlighting the importance of community involvement to ensure that no one is left out of future programs. Rethabile also presented some of the HWC mitigation measures currently in place, while explaining that their first actions will be to gather information such that they may better understand the conflict levels at various cattle posts before committing to specific actions. Both DWNP and CCB stressed the importance of reporting predation cases to DWNP offices, as these reports help verify and guide findings from surveys, such as the one about to be undertaken.
We remain ever grateful for the collaborative relationships we have with farming communities, village leadership, and government departments as they make the work of building comprehensive understanding of coexistence and conservation more efficient and sustainable. With project activities in New Xade having started in 2023 – with trials of the horse patrol programme, which developed into a fully-fledged operation with support from the Lion Recovery Fund – this expansion is a great milestone and reminder of the need for continuous growth to understand the dynamic landscape we operate in.
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