46 killed by wild animals.

46 killed by wild animals.

By Pretty

The country’s increasing human and wildlife population has led to competition for limited resources between humans and animals, with humans losing their lives.

This year alone, 46 people have been killed by wild animals resulting in Government to establish a Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund For Victims a Government Minister has said.

Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa, speaking at a post-cabinet media briefing said that the Fund will be based on a self-financing model where proceeds from hunting and other crowd funding activities will be mobilized to resource the Fund. These sources include reserving a hunting quota under the CITES granted quota, a levy on hunting revenue accruing to safari operators, Rural District Councils and conservancy owners.

Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said, “Besides the fatalities, human-wildlife conflicts has seen people being maimed, disabled, or sustaining serious injuries, communities experiencing loss of food security due to consumption and destruction of crops by animals, loss of livestock to predatory wild animals, destruction and damage of property and infrastructure; and potential exposure to zoonotic diseases.”

She went on to say, “ With this in mind, the Government has adopted the establishment of a relief fund to cushion the victims of human-wildlife conflict by way of funeral assistance and an amount paid towards hospitalization and treatment with a set limit. The payments will cover three categories, namely death, maiming, and injuries. A specialized human-wildlife conflict unit will be established under Zimparks,”

The wildlife attacks on humans, happen especially in communal areas and towns that are close to national parks, safaris, forests and other protected areas. Consequently, people living adjacent to wildlife areas are always in danger of being attacked by the animals, and it has been established that the frequency of such attacks is increasing.

She revealed that the Fund will be extended to include preventative measures such as providing water in the game parks and enhancing grazing pastures. The fund will also look at associated impacts such as livestock loss and control of wildlife and livestock movements to curtail the spread of diseases such as foot and mouth.