Human-Wildlife Conflict
Victoria Falls

Human-wildlife Conflict

In 2015, ALERT established a human-lion conflict mitigation project within the Matetsi Conservancy at the request of settlers there due to high lion predation on livestock. Our 2016/2017 work noted high occurences during the day, when livestock are herded in the rangeland. 

Our research efforts in 2018 focused on understanding the drivers of these attacks and implementing and assessing mitigation strategies. The unfenced Matetsi Conservancy near Victoria Falls is located adjacent to protected areas with lions. There are other NGO’s addressing human-wildlife conflict in the area, but due to its vastness, ALERT, in partnership with ZPWMA and Coventry University, agreed to assist. In the Matetsi area, traditional holding pens are reinforced with flashing lights that deter predators, mainly spotted hyena and lions. Often negative perceptions develop as Communities experience conflicts with wildlife or feel that Protected Areas are restricting them from spreading their livestock and crops beyond their allocated areas. This initiative in the Matetsi Conservancy continued until 2021, where we integrated conservation education at a grassroots level to teach both school children and village elders as an essential stepping stone for the future conservation of all wildlife species and their habitats.