Human-Wildlife Co-existence project

Human-wildlife conflict and co-existence remain a critical part of our conservation efforts. The balance between protecting livestock, and the livelihoods of the community and protecting wildlife from poaching is key to advancing our conservation efforts in the national parks.

The Lion bomas are used to protect the community’s livestock from predators and lions. A boma is a cloth material that is used to cover kraals so lions are unable to see the animals in the kraal, thus protecting the livestock inside from lions. By protecting the community’s livestock from lions and other predators, we are reducing human-wildlife conflict in the area and retaliation killing of wildlife.

“In communities like Mabale (Dete), we used to have incidents where lions were attacking livestock like cattle and goats. You would hear stories from members of the communities about how they have lost 7 cattle and 5 goats. But African Bush Camps Foundation intervened by erecting bomas which are tents that cover the cattle kraal so the lions cannot see the livestock inside.

African Bush Camps Foundation has reduced the human-wildlife conflict. Before this project, things were terrible in the community, and they were terrible for conservation because the community was planning to retaliate by killing wild animals with snares. The efforts done by the foundation are helping to teach the community that we can live peacefully while caring for wildlife and caring for our livestock.”

– Richard Mutyambizi: Service team at our Somalisa Camps, Zimbabwe.