TITLE:
Livestock Losses and Predation Crisis in Communal Areas around Sengwa Wildlife Research Area (SWRA), Zimbabwe
AUTHORS:
Spencer Matindike, Gladman Chibememe, Innocent Mahakata
KEYWORDS:
Livestock, Predation, Loss, Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, Sai Communal Area
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.10 No.4,
April
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: Livestock losses as a result of depredation by large wild carnivores are still of major concern globally. The study sought to establish current problematic predators, targeted livestock and to quantify in monetary value losses incurred by affected farmers from January, 2021 to December, 2021 in the communal area adjacent to Sengwa Wildlife Research Area (SWRA). Four villages were purposively sampled (i.e. Chirevereve, Dungwa, Nhidza and Siamwanja). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with randomly selected households. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare livestock losses between dry and wet season in Minitab-17 Statistical Software. Leopard, hyena, black-backed-jackal, baboon, bat-eared-fox and crocodile were the recorded problem predators while cattle, hen, sheep, pig, donkey, goat and turkey were the targeted livestock. There was no significant difference between number of livestock killed in dry and wet season from the study area (p-value = 0.962, where α = 0.05). Livestock losses were net USD 7615.00. Depredation by hyena contributed 54.8% losses with a value of USD 6275.00 while crocodile and leopard related livestock losses were the least, contributing only 0.9% with a value of USD 50.00. Local community held different views on the possible causes of livestock losses by predators. However, absence of a game fence was mentioned as the major factor facilitating predators moving outside the SWRA to target livestock. Further researches to quantify loss due to livestock depredation at household level are recommended.