Predators of Jwana Game Park, Botswana - a potential source of conflict with local human communities

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict continues to grow as a concern across the world. The conflict is experienced in many different forms and it has become persistent on the pastoral lands that are situated closer to the boundaries of protected areas with livestock predation being the most prevalent form of conflict. The type and severity of the conflict is largely dependent on the predator involved and the efficiency of the mitigation techniques employed. In an attempt to minimise human-wildlife interactions, many countries have set aside pieces of land for biodiversity conservation and management of wildlife species. However, the majority of these protected areas are too small to meet the ecological requirements of resident medium-large predator species. This results in some species dispersing into the neighbouring unprotected land where they come into contact with domestic animals, killing them and sometimes causing injuries. These livestock attacks ultimately trigger indiscriminate killing of predators that is fuelled by economic losses that are accrued through livestock predation and communities‟ I ABSTRACT Human-wildlife conflict continues to grow as a concern across the world. The conflict is experienced in many different forms and it has become persistent on the pastoral lands that are situated closer to the boundaries of protected areas with livestock predation being the most prevalent form of conflict. The type and severity of the conflict is largely dependent on the predator involved and the efficiency of the mitigation techniques employed. In an attempt to minimise human-wildlife interactions, many countries have set aside pieces of land for biodiversity conservation and management of wildlife species. However, the majority of these protected areas are too small to meet the ecological requirements of resident medium-large predator species. This results in some species dispersing into the neighbouring unprotected land where they come into contact with domestic animals, killing them and sometimes causing injuries. These livestock attacks ultimately trigger indiscriminate killing of predators that is fuelled by economic losses that are accrued through livestock predation and communities‟ negative perceptions towards predators. Camera trapping and spoor count techniques were used to study the occupancy of medium-large predator species and their movement in and out of Jwana Game Park through the holes that occur under the park‟s perimeter fence. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted in the cattle posts that are situated adjacent to Jwana Game Park. Seven medium-large predator species were detected within the boundaries of the park. Occupancy estimates varied among the predator species within the different sections of the game park. Predators also exhibited movement between the park and adjacent pastoral land using holes that occurred under the park‟s boundary fence. A total of 128 active holes were recorded under the park‟s perimeter fence with the majority (62%) of the intensively used holes occurring in the south-west section of the park. A total of 185 predator images were recorded at the various holes under the boundary fence with black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) constituting the majority (45%) of capture events. Human wildlife conflict is common on the neighbouring farmlands and jackal was perceived to be responsible for the majority of the livestock depredation incidents of small stock (mainly goats), whereas leopard was perceived as the most problematic predator species on the commercial cattle ranches where it accounted for 63% of livestock losses. There was no association between the occupancy of predators inside the park and the use of holes that occur under the park‟s the boundary fence. Conflict mitigation techniques were not efficiently practiced by communities farming in the vicinity of the game park, which potentially contributed to increased livestock attacks. The incapability of the boundary fence to restrict animal movement could also contribute to increased unwanted predator-livestock interactions.