Academic literature on the topic 'Wildlife conservation – Zambia'

Damage to crops from wildlife interference is a common threat to food security among rural communities in or near Game Management Areas (GMAs) in Zambia. This study uses a two-stage model and cross-sectional data from a survey of 2769 households to determine the impact of land use planning on the probability and extent of wildlife-inflicted crop damage. The results show that crop damage is higher in GMAs as compared to non-GMAs, and that land use planning could be an effective tool to significantly reduce the likelihood of such damage. These findings suggest that there is merit in the current drive to develop and implement land use plans to minimize human-wildlife conflict such as crop damage. This is especially critical as Zambian conservation policies do not explicitly provide compensation for damage caused by wildlife.

This study examines views on economic benefits, local participation in wildlife management and conservation ethic among 267 residents of three chiefdoms in Mambwe district, Eastern Zambia. Results show that 68% of the residents who live in the Lupande Game Management Area are not in any way involved in community wildlife management. For those involved, the main reason advanced for participating was economic benefit (79%). Only a small minority of 17% of the residents participated due to motivations to conserve wildlife. Human-wildlife conflicts induced by wild animal crop raiding, property destruction, and loss of human life, and perceived low or non-existent economic benefits seemingly precluded the development of a conservation ethic among residents. The local chiefs asserted wildlife ownership, lamented low wildlife benefits and justified its illegal uptake. Proponents of community conservation projects could encourage pro conservation attitudes among residents by addressing human-wildlife conflicts and raising awareness on intrinsic values of wildlife.

Trypanosomiasis has been endemic in wildlife in Zambia for more than a century. The disease has been associated with neurological disorders in humans. Current conservation strategies by the Zambian government of turning all game reserves into state-protected National Parks (NPs) and game management areas (GMAs) have led to the expansion of the wildlife and tsetse population in the Luangwa and Zambezi valley ecosystem. This ecological niche lies in the common tsetse fly belt that harbors the highest tsetse population density in Southern Africa. Ecological factors such as climate, vegetation and rainfall found in this niche allow for a favorable interplay between wild reservoir hosts and vector tsetse flies. These ecological factors that influence the survival of a wide range of wildlife species provide adequate habitat for tsetse flies thereby supporting the coexistence of disease reservoir hosts and vector tsetse flies leading to prolonged persistence of trypanosomiasis in the area. On the other hand, increase in anthropogenic activities poses a significant threat of reducing the tsetse and wildlife habitat in the area. Herein, we demonstrate that while conservation of wildlife and biodiversity is an important preservation strategy of natural resources, it could serve as a long-term reservoir of wildlife trypanosomiasis.

AbstractWe investigated the effects of socio-economic, institutional, and governance factors on two adjacent Game Management Areas in Zambia: Nkala, which is relatively pristine, and Namwala, which is degraded. Monetary benefits from the Nkala Game Management Area were almost double those from Namwala, which may have been sufficient incentive for the communities of Nkala not to occupy the area or conduct activities that were detrimental to wildlife conservation. There was no such incentive in Namwala, where traditional leaders may have considered settlement and cultivation a better alternative to wildlife conservation. The degradation of the area is largely attributable to weak governance amongst the traditional leadership, which allowed unauthorized migrants to settle and cultivate regardless of the effects of their activities. In contrast, there was good governance in Nkala, where the local chiefs did not allow settlement within the Game Management Area. We hope our findings will be useful in informing the management of Game Management Areas and other wildlife-conservation areas.

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is endemic in African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) in some National Parks in Southern Africa, whilst no studies have been conducted on BTB on buffalo populations in Zambia. The increased demand for ecotourism and conservation of the African buffalo on private owned game ranches has prompted the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and private sector in Zambia to generate a herd of “BTB-free buffaloes” forex situconservation. In the present study, 86 African buffaloes from four different herds comprising a total of 530 animals were investigated for the presence of BTB for the purpose of generating “BTB free” buffalo forex-situconservation. Using the comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT) the BTB status at both individual animal and herd level was estimated to be 0.0% by the CIDT technique. Compared to Avian reactors only, a prevalence of 5.8% was determined whilst for Bovine-only reactors a prevalence of 0.0% was determined. These results suggest the likelihood of buffalo herds in the Kafue National Park being free of BTB.

This dissertation focuses on the lived, material realities of rural women, men, girls, and boys struggling to make a living in the context of changing national development priorities and changing environmental conditions in Southern Province, Zambia. Over the last 20 years, Gwembe Tonga migrants living in the frontier farming area of Kulaale have witnessed significant declines in non-cultivated “bush” resources due to the conversion of forest and grassland to agricultural uses. This dissertation seeks to understand how women, men, boys, and girls differently experience these declines according to local gender- and age-based divisions of subsistence labor. Drawing on a variety of theoretical lenses—including Feminist Geography, Feminist Political Ecology, African Feminisms, the Anthropology of Childhood, and the Anthropology of the State—and utilizing a unique blend of qualitative/ethnographic and quantitative/geospatial research methods, this study finds that the “extractive workloads” (the average annual distance traveled for the collection of key bush resources) associated with women, men, girls, and boys are both unequal and contrary to recent speculations about the distinctive vulnerability of adult women to environmental change. The unequal labor burdens associated with the extraction of bush resources in this changing frontier landscape are but one of several missing “links” that this dissertation identifies within current theorizing about the gendered dimensions of environmental change. Other “links” include the social organization and religious life of Gwembe Tonga migrants, the demographic structure of Kulaale homesteads (their organization on the landscape and their demographic composition), the interplay between agency and vulnerability in children’s daily lives, and the role of the state in shaping Kulaale residents’ perceptions of and interactions with the surrounding environment. This story of Gwembe Tonga migrants’ gendered and aged experiences of environmental change unfolds in the context of competing national economic strategies—frontier development wildlife conservation. This dissertation concludes that women, men, girls, and boys are all physically and economically vulnerable to the changes associated with frontier development, conservation policy, and environmental change, with social, political, and economic factors prompting them to experience vulnerability in aged and gendered ways.

This dissertation both proposes and records the ongoing implementation of a ‘Landsafe’ integrated conservation and development model for the customary commons of Zambia. In Volume I, a geographical historical perspective of the country is presented which concentrates on wildlife conservation and rural people. The changes wrought successively on indigenous peoples by invading native Africans of the Bantu linguistic group, then in turn on them by Europeans in the form of Charter Companies and later by Imperial Protectorate rule, and finally, by self-rule, is explored. The country’s evolution from Western colonialism and embedded liberalism, to exploitative neoliberalism and the concurrent emergence of the traditional patrimonial system - one modernised by its meeting with European captalism, is the backdrop and basis for the construction of Landsafe and its current implementation in two chiefdoms. Volume II presents the Landsafe ICDP model. This is based on the formation of chiefdom statutory trusts, with trustees elected by villagers of the customary commons; and the signing of co-management agreements with government departments in respect of wildlife, Game Management Areas, and protected forest land, forests, fisheries and water. The local District Councils would be signatory to such agreements, and the chiefs and their headmen would vest selected customary land in these trusts. These vested lands are then protected, allowing for controlled exploitation by investors - such that they do not impinge unnecessarily on traditional rights or on the re-establishment of traditional guardians of nature. Land may not, under any circumstances, be alienated from customary control. A log frame programme analysis procedure is adopted and a suggested formalisation methodology and procedures for implementing Landsafe included. Finally, the socio-ecology of the first project area in the Luangwa Valley is detailed, followed by a description of the implementation of the Landsafe programme; including a critical analysis comparing Landsafe theory to practice.<br>Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011.<br>Centre for Wildlife Management<br>unrestricted

The black lechwe Kobus leche smithemani) is an antelope that belongs to the family reduncinae. Its current population is confined to the Bangweulu Basin in the northern Zambia. This research was undertaken to assess its current population status, the sex and age ratios, carrying capacity of the flood-plain where it occurs and its maximum sustainable yield. The study also estimated its potential sustainable off-take and looked into the links that exists between wildlife and socio-economics in order to demonstrate the views of local people on current wildlife management and utilisation. Historical records suggest that these antelopes were more widely spread and more numerous earlier last century. Until the 1930s the population may have numbered over 250 000. Records indicate major population decline during the first half of last century and therefore called for a quick management action. The population decline was thought to be caused by over-hunting and habitat change caused by an increase in water levels in the swamps. Aerial surveys during the 1950s suggested less than 20000 and by 1970 only 16 000 lechwe were counted from the air. From 1988-1996, ground surveys were undertaken with a four-wheel drive vehicle, on motor bike and on foot. A series of aerial censuses was also conducted during October, at the height of the dry season when the lechwe are relatively evenly distributed in the swamps, thus facilitating the use of stratified random sampling method. A fixed wing cessina 182 was used throughout the surveys. The study revealed that black lechwe is a highly prolific and resilient species. Its population has great potential to increase if given adequate protection and proper managed. Mating takes place on shallow flood-plains between November and April, but peaks in March. Receptive females leave their herds to join small breeding ground comprising few dominant males, which may be likened to leks formed by some other antelopes. The population of lechwe is currently maintained around 30,000. The sex ratio of the species is equal to unity and the age ratio was estimated at 3 : 1. The entire Bangweulu wetlands can sustain a population of at least 160 000 lechwe. A sustainable off-take of 6 000 individuals per annum was recommended. Black lechwe being an endemic species to the Bangweulu Basin is important for the economy of the country and the rural population. The study has revealed that local people are keen to participate in conserving it together with other species and the habitat as long as they are clear about benefits that they will gain from their effort.<br>Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007.<br>Centre for Wildlife Management<br>unrestricted

This dissertation presents the suspicions and tensions encountered during ethnographic fieldwork with (what I call) the Predator Project Zambezi (PPZ), a WWF-funded research and conservation organization based in Zambia. It extrapolates the broader contexts of this uneasiness and situates it within global conservation discourses. The distrust that manifests between the wildlife authorities in Zambia, the residents of rural areas, and PPZ epitomizes postcolonial contentions over state sovereignty and the continued hegemony of Euro-American environmental ideologies. Moreover, the objective perspective that is claimed by PPZ as a scientific organization is challenged through analysis of its daily epistemic contradictions. In this ethnography, I show how the priorities of conservation institutions as communicated through PPZ ultimately work to arrest the post-colonies in a continuous state of catching up to the eco-modern condition that is ascribed to the global North.

Thesis (DTech. degree in Nature Conservation.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2012.<br>Wildlife crop raiding is a pervasive and widespread problem. The purpose of the study is to investigate and understand underlying processes and structures associated with the crop raiding problem in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia in order to technically and scientifically support decisions by farmers and other stakeholders regarding crop raiding.

This study was undertaken to investigate the ecology of the Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis in the wild. Prior to this study little was known about the ecology of this parrot or other members of the genus Agapornis. The Black-cheeked Lovebird is classified as Vulnerable and has suffered a severe population decline and reduced distribution, from which, for largely speculative reasons, it has never recovered. The overall aim of this project was to elucidate the basic biology of the Black-cheeked Lovebird and determine the conservation actions which are necessary to conserve the species in the wild. Fieldwork was conducted across the species' range in south-west Zambia over twenty-two months between May to December 1998; March to December 1999; and February to May 2000. An education project focussing on Black-cheeked Lovebird conservation was conducted with local schools, villagers and Zambia Wildlife Authority scouts during September 2001. Historical records pertaining to distribution of the Black-checked Lovebird, both within and beyond Zambia are few, anecdotal and often discredited, and it is suggested that the species should be considered as endemic to Zambia. Within its core range the species has a clumped and localised distribution, associated with Mopane woodland and permanent water sources. Two sub-populations occur and appear to be distinct. Black-cheeked Lovebirds were most active, in the early morning and late afternoon, forming the largest daily flocks sizes during these times, which correlated with drinking and feeding activities. The smallest flock sizes occurred when roosting. Overall flock sizes were significantly larger during the dry (non-breeding) season. Black-cheeked Lovebirds were observed feeding on 39 species. Food items included seeds, leaves, flowers (especially nectar), fruit pulp, invertebrates, bark, lichen, resin, and soil. Various foraging techniques were used. Terrestrial foraging was dominant, with little temporal or spatial variability. Arboreal foraging in plants varied seasonally and by availability. Feeding preferences were not specialised and there was no dependence on a limited food resource. Black-cheeked Lovebirds fed on two agricultural crops. There was no evidence to suggest an extended foraging range during the crop-ripening season, or the reliance on crops for survival. The crop-ripening season coincided with the lovebird breeding season. The species is widely perceived as a crop pest, with 18% of seed heads of millet crops suffering more than 20% damage during the ripening season. Local farmers attempted to protect their crops in a variety of ways, however, these were largely ineffective and rarely lethal to lovebirds. The importance of elevating local tolerance for the species through education programmes is highlighted. This study presents the first collection of breeding data on the species. Breeding occurred from midlate January to early May. A single clutch was raised by most pairs per breeding cycle. Seventy-eight nests were found and characteristics measured. Fidelity to nest-sites is suspected. Although breeding behaviour was non-cooperative most nests were found in a loosely clumped distribution. No nesting requirement appeared to be in limited supply, or had reason to affect the population's reproductive output. Behavioural data on nest location, building, defence and predation are presented. In addition courtship, copulation, parental care and juvenile behaviours are reported. Data on clutch size, laying intervals and hatching success with captive birds are included. One nestling tested positive for Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease Virus (PBFDV). Other observations suggest PBFDV is present in the wild population. Implications for research and conservation are discussed. Black-cheeked Lovebirds roosted inside naturally formed cavities in live Mopane trees. Roost cavities were found in a loosely clumped distribution. No roosting requirement appeared to be in limited supply. Black-cheeked Lovebirds are highly dependent on surface water supplies and need to drink at least twice daily. The lovebirds are highly cautious drinkers that will not drink if the water resource was actively disturbed by humans or livestock. Water availability is a limiting factor to the Black-cheeked Lovebird. The gradual desiccation of its habitat appears to be the major cause behind the reduction of occupancy within its small range. Over the last 45 years (1950 - 1997) the annual rainfall in the Black-cheeked Lovebird's habitat has decreased resulting in further reduction of its already highly localised distribution increasing the species dependence on artificial water supplies. The conservation management of the species should be prioritised towards maintaining and creating water resources with minimal external disturbance; upholding the wild-caught trade ban in the species, continuing environmental education with local schools promoting lovebird conservation, and monitoring populations through dry season water source counts.<br>Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.