How To Resolve A Conflict Between Wildlife And People In Kariba Town

Transcription

1 Zabezia (2001), XXVIII (i). CONFLICT BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE IN KARIBA TOWN, ZIMBABWE* * LINDAH MHLANGA University Lake Kariba Research Station, University of Zibabwe Abstract This article analyses the findings of a questionnaire survey that sought to establish the relationship between wildlife and the people of Kariba and to ake soe policy proposals. The survey showed that there are conflicts between wildlife and people in Kariba town. Elephants and buffaloes daage and destroy property and frighten or kill people. Baboons vandalise hoes. Residents are not copensated for death, injury or property daaged by anials. In response, people drive elephants away fro residential areas using stones and burning fire logs. They also kill or injure buffaloes using snares. There is conflict between residents and the Departent of National Parks and Wildlife Manageent officials over illegal procureent of resources fro the national park. Despite the conflicts, over 80% of the residents are positively inclined towards conservation since they indicated that poachers should be arrested, it is necessary to conserve anials, there should be no free access to the resources. Over 50% indicated that anials and people should be isolated to alleviate the existing probles. It is proposed that a ulti-action approach should be used to aeliorate the huan-anial conflict in Kariba. This should include protection of residents fro wildlife, extension of benefits to residents, involveent of residents in the anageent of the resource, setting-up a fund to assist and/or copensate victis of wildlife injuries or deaths, educating residents on how to coexist and reserving the gae corridors for wildlife oveent. This will help to foster and create ore positive attitudes towards wildlife conservation. Otherwise, huan hostility will continue to pose a danger to anials and national park resources in general. INTRODUCTION Prior to colonialis, African counities were dependent on wild anials and plant resources. Counities exercised collective access to the resources through coplex sharing and rotation schees. Resource utilisation was controlled by local institutions and bound by tribal laws * * This study was undertaken with funds ade available to Dr Conyers and Jiiel Mandia by the United Nations Centre for Regional Developent (UNCRD) for research on the developent on border areas to who I a ost grateful. 39

2 3 a c 70 [ ' O o > H O 2 O n RIBA H O o -n r^ O en ^ ILDI 1 ~n j> z o "D o"d r* M KAR > <J,»AOJ N CD J> CD Nonl t ZAMBIA Lusaka Key 1 Kariba Town Boundary LAKE KARIBA

3 L. MHLANGA 41 and knowledge. 1 Colonialis replaced the traditional wildlife anageent systes with European odels in which large tracks of land were taken and designated as protected areas (National Parks and Safari areas). The objective was to isolate the anials in order to protect the fro huan activities considered destructive. 2 Local counities were packed into restricted land bases and prohibited fro utilising the resources within protected areas. This created probles in the area of wildlife anageent. 3 Wild anials inflicted daage on people, their property, crops and livestock. Counities illegally harvested anials within the protected areas. Antagonis grew between local counities and wildlife. This is a ajor source of conflict in all sub-saharan African countries. This conflict, especially the unauthorised harvesting of wildlife in protected areas, is threatening the sustainability of the protected areas. 4 Many cases of conflict between wildlife and local counities living adjacent to protected areas are docuented. 5 Despite law enforceent, local counities continue to kill wildlife, posing a threat to their survival. Wildlife anagers have been unable to cope with the proble and, as a result, pressure on the dwindling wildlife populations is increasing. 6 In order to resolve the wildlife probles, the concept of "counity based, counity-directed" wildlife anageent has been introduced in ost African countries. The objective is to anage wildlife in co-operation with local people. The arguent is that, unless local counities are able to benefit financially fro neighbouring wildlife resources, poaching 1 Patel, H. Sustainable Utilisation and African Wildlife Policy: The Case of Zibabwe's Counal Areas Manageent Prograe for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE), Rhetoric or Reality? [Cabridge, Indigenous Environental Policy Centre (IEPC), 1998]. 2 Takfforyan, A. 'Towards local anageent of wildlife in Africa? The case of east Caeroon' in N. Christoffersen, B. Capbell and J. du Toit, (eds.) Counities and Sustainable Use: Pan-African Perspectives (IUCN, 1996), Patel, Sustainable Utilisation and African Wildlife Policy. 4 Newark, W. D. and Leornard, N. L. 'The attitudes of local people toward Kilianjaro National Park and Forest Reserve 1 in W. D. Newark, (ed.) Conservation of Mount Kilianjaro (IUCN, Gland, 1991), 87-96; Taylor, R. Fro Liability to Asset: Wildlife in the Oay Counal Land of Zibabwe [London, International Institute for Environent and Developent, Wildlife and Developent Series (8), 1995], Hawkes, R. K., "Crop and livestock losses to wild anials in the Buliliaangwe Natural Resources Manageent Project Area" (Harare, University of Zibabwe, Centre for Applied Social Sciences, 1991, Unpubl.); Murphree, M. "Counities as Resource Manageent Institutions' (Harare, University of Zibabwe, Centre for Applied Social Sciences, 1991, Unpubl.); Nepal, S. K. and Weber, K. E. 'Prospects for coexistence: Wildlife and local people', Abio, (1995), 24 (4), ; Taylor, Fro Liability to Asset. 6 Patel, Sustainable Utilisation and African Wildlife Policy.

4 42 CONFLICT BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE IN KARIBA TOWN, ZIMBABWE of wildlife will continue. 7 Many projects of this type have been launched throughout Africa over the last ten years. 8 An exaple of a project that was developed to address the wildlife proble in Zibabwe is the Counal Areas Manageent Prograe for Indigenous Resources (CAMPF1RE). The guiding philosophy of CAMPFIRE is sustainable rural developent that enables rural counities to anage and benefit directly fro indigenous resources. 9 Although extensively supported by ost indigenous Zibabweans, CAMPFIRE's approaches and ipleentation reain ebedded in colonial ideology. 10 The prograe is largely directed by external organisations and the private safari operating industry and business and operational agreeents are ainly between Rural District Councils and the private safari industry. 11 Genuine participation by rural counities in wildlife has not been effectively addressed by CAMPFIRE. Huan-anial conflict is still a ajor proble that has not been effectively resolved in Zibabwe, as can be seen fro the case of Kariba town, whose huan-wildlife relationship will now be exained. Kariba town is situated in the Northern part of Zibabwe on the border between Zabia and Zibabwe (see Figure 1). The town is bordered by Hurungwe Safari Area in the North, Charara Safari Area in the East and by the lakeshore in the South and Southeast. It is situated within a national park. The Departent of National Parks and Wildlife Manageent (DNPWM) anages wildlife resources within the national park. The DNPWM allows gae exploitation through safari hunting in Charara Safari Area. The ajority of people eployed in Kariba are engaged in natural resources and wildlife related activities such as 7 Madzudzo, E. "Counity based natural resource anageent in Zibabwe- Opportunities and constraints' (Harare, University of Zibabwe Centre lor Applied Social Sciences, 1998, Unpubl.); Martin, R. B. 'Counal area anageent plan for indigenous resources (CAMPFIRE)', in R. H. V. Bell and E. McShane-Caluzi (eds.) Conservation and Wildlife Manageent (Washington, US Peace Corps 1984) Patel, Sustainable Utilisation and African Wildlife Policy. 8 I1ED, Whose Eden? An Overview of Counity Approaches to Wildlife Manageent (London International Institute of Environent and Developent. 1994). 9 Child, B. "The practice and principles of counity-based wildlife anageent in Zibabwe: The CAMPFIRE prograe" in Biodiversity and Conservation (1996), V, Dzingirai, V. "Take back your CAMPFIRE': A study of local level perceptions to electric fencing in the fraework of Binga's CAMPFIRE prograe" (Harare, University of Zibabwe, Centre for Applied Social Sciences, 1995, Unpubl); Murobedzi, J. Decentralising Coon Property Resources Manageent: A Case Study of the Nyainyai District Council of Zibabwe's Wildlife Manageent Prograe (London, International Institute of Environent and Developent Drylands Network Prograe, Paper No ); Patel, Sustainable Utilisation and African Wildlife Policy 11 Murobedzi, Decentralising Coon Property Resources Manageent, Dzingirai "Take back your CAMPFIRE"; Patel, Sustainable Utilisation and African Wildlife Policy

5 L MHLANGA 43 fisheries, hunting, touris and crocodile faring. 12 The fishing industry and touris eploys 43.1% of tho.^e in foral eployent. 13 The developent of Kariba has been doinated by the construction of Kariba da in the late 1950s. This transfored an isolated, sparsely populated area into one of significant national iportance for the purposes of power generation, fishing and touris. 14 While Lake Kariba was filling, anials were rescued fro the flooding valley and oved to areas that were designated as national parks and safari areas. The transforation of the area created a nuber of conflicts on resource use between anials and huan beings. 15 Large aals, ainly elephants (Loxodonta africana, Bluenbach) and buffaloes (Syncerus caffer, Sparan), ove through huan settleents, presuably following their traditional routes (gae corridors) to the lakeshore. These oveents are ore pronounced during the dry season and are a response to seasonal changes in precipitation and food availability. As elephants and buffaloes pass through residential areas o.n their way to the shore, they soeties destroy property and occasionally kill people. Owing to the increasing need for land, soe of the gae corridors have been closed by urban developent. Most of the shoreline area has been developed into residential and coercial properties. This has restricted the anials' access to the lakeshore and has led to increased contact between anials and people. The result has been increasing conflict between people and anials, with people developing a hostile attitude towards wildlife and wildlife conservation authorities, since they feel that exclusive preference is being given to wildlife conservation. Wildlife is, thus, both a very iportant resource in Kariba and a source of conflict. The question is: "Should there be wildlife in an urban area, and if so, what steps can be taken to ake it easier for people and wildlife to coexist?" In the light of the above, this article seeks to analyse the conflict between wildlife and people in Kariba Town through exaining (i) perceptions and attitudes of Kariba residents to wildlife and (ii) the sources and nature of probles and conflicts between anials, people and officials of the Departent of National Parks and Wildlife Manageent. The focus in this article is conflict between wildlife and people in an urban area. 12 Magadza, C. H. D. "Conflicts of resource use on the Lake Kariba environs", Nature and Resources. (1986), 22, (4) Mhlanga, L. "Inforation on eployent, housing and education in Kariba Town, Zibabwe" (Kariba, University Lake Kariba Research Station, Zibabwe, Unpubl., 1996). 14 Conyers, D. and Mlalazi, A., "Kariba: Whose town?" Proceedings of the University Lake Kariba Research Station Seinar Series, Bulletin No. 2/96, (1995), Magadza, "Conflicts of resource use".

6 44 CONFLICT BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE IN KARIBA TOWN, ZIMBABWE METHODS AND MATERIALS Research findings presented in this article are based on a July 1995 questionnaire survey and an open debate held at University Lake Kariba Research Station in which people fro various governent departents, local researchers, and Kariba residents participated. Questionnaire interviews were carried out with 414 households, randoly selected in four townships. A street ap for each residential area was used to select households. The saple size was estiated fro the total nuber of households and aied to cover approxiately 10% of the population. The interviews were carried out in Nyahunga, Mahobekobe, and an unplanned settleent popularly known as "Baghdad", while questionnaires were sent by post to "Heights". During household surveys people were asked to provide inforation under the following three subsections: (a) Conservation attitudes and perceptions regarding wildlife; probles caused by anials, probles caused by people, proble anials, copensation for property daage or death, whether it is necessary to conserve anials, whether people were coexisting happily with anials, isolation of people fro wildlife and ain benefactors of wildlife. (b)manageent of national parks; awareness of conflict between residents and gae scouts, effectiveness of gae scouts and poaching, (c) Constraints and hardships caused by the surrounding national parks; dependency on the national parks resources and perceptions on free access to the national parks resources. Meanwhile, the debate at the University Lake Kariba Research Station covered a wide range of topics, including the resident's attitudes towards wildlife, law enforceent agencies, and conflict between wildlife and people. Although households to be sapled were randoly selected fro a ap, interviewees were selected based on chance encounters within the house by the interviewer. While this approach ay have induced a liited sapling bias in the results, its findings are consistent with a recent study on conservation versus developent in Kariba and can, thus, be regarded as reflecting local opinions reasonably accurately Dunn, M. "Wildlife versus Developent: The Story o( Kariba's Gae Corridors" (University Lake Kariba Research Station, Seinar Series, 1999).

7 L. MHLANGA 45 RESULTS Conflicts between wildlife and people Over 90% of the respondents indicated that the location of Kariba inside a national park was probleatic, as, because of strict regulations, there is very liited access by people to national parks resources, while anials ove into residential areas freely. 40.1%, 36.2% and 23.7% of the respondents considered elephants, baboons, and buffaloes, respectively, to be the ajor sources of probles. Buffaloes and elephants are dangerous anials, which occasionally kill and ai people. A high proportion of the respondents considered elephants to be the ost threatening anials, as they daage and destroy property. Buffaloes and elephants, occasionally, attack and kill people walking about at night, while baboons vandalise hoes and are the ost bothersoe anials since they virtually live in the townships. Over 70% of the respondents recognised that residents also cause probles to anials despite being prohibited by law. Aong the probles identified were: huan encroachent into the national park to obtain firewood, edicinal plants, thatching grass and anure; teasing and driving anials, especially elephants, using stones and burning fire logs; and snaring anials. Over 60% of the respondents highlighted existing conflicts between residents and DNPWM officials (Table 1). Conflicts occur when gae scouts eployed by the DNPWM, whose responsibilities are to conserve, anage and safeguard natural resources, apprehend poachers. Residents strongly feel that they are unjustly denied access to the resources and expressed strong bitterness over the fact that the gae scouts arrest the for collecting firewood and anure in the National Park. This conflict arises fro the fact that, while the DNPWM believes that the collection of wood is harful to the ecosyste, the residents of Kariba feel strongly that they should have access to this and other resources. The other cause of conflict is the residents' perception that authorities see to be ore concerned about protecting wildlife at the people's expense and do not see to show any concern over loss of huan life and destruction of property. This is evidenced by the fact that the Departent does not provide any copensation for death and/or property daage caused by wildlife. People are also disgruntled over the large aount of land reserved for the exclusive use of wildlife. Dependency on wildlife and national park resources Forty-three percent of the respondents cited governent, while 35% gave the touris industry as the ain beneficiaries, respectively. This is so

8 46 CONFLICT BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE IN KAR;<3A TOWN, ZIMBABWE Table 1: RESPONSES TO THE ISSUES OF DEPENDENCE, BENEFITS, ACCESS TO PARK RESOURCES, CO-EXISTENCE, CONFLICT AND EXCLUSION OF WILD ANIMALS FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF KARIBA Question Are you dependent? 90.3 Are you benefiting? 51.1 Should there be free access to resources? 15 8 Should people and wildlife co-exist? 55.1 Are you aware of conflicts? 67.9 Should anials be excluded fro residential areas 52.7 Percentage "Yes" response because the governent receives foreign currency fro tourists and the touris industry thrives on wildlife that draws the tourists to the country. Seven percent considered the DNPWM, the institution that has a statutory andate to conserve wildlife and sustainably anage the resource, as the beneficiary, while 4.2%, 1.4%, 1.4% and 7.1% identified the whole country, poachers, residents and Kariba Town Council as beneficiaries. Slightly over half of the respondents indicated that they are benefiting, either through being eployed in hotel and safari copanies, or through selling of curios and crotchet to tourists, gae viewing and illegal procureent of gae eat, anure, and firewood. Slightly less than half of the respondents felt that they are not having any direct benefit fro wildlife conservation in spite of having to coexist with anials. Over 90% indicated that they are directly dependent on resources fro the national park (Table 1) through their access to firewood, anure, gae eat, fish, water, electricity, wild fruits, ice, grass, and edicinal plants. Of these, however, only water and electricity and, probably, fish are obtained legally. Over 80% of the respondents indicated that there should be no free access to national park resources. Respondents suggested that there should be legalised controlled access; otherwise the resources will be exhausted due to over-exploitation. An arrangeent under which residents were given "controlled allocations" of firewood and gae eat was considered ost welcoe. Most respondents said that they were willing to pay a reasonable fee for these resources. Other than benefiting directly, respondents also suggested that the Kariba Town Council should receive a percentage of oney generated fro wildlife conservation activities. This revenue would be then used to develop the town's facilities for the benefit of the residents.

9 L MHLANGA 47 Conservation attitudes Despite the conflicts and probles encountered, ost respondents are positively inclined towards conservation. Conservation attitudes were assessed by asking whether respondents are agreeable to coplete isolation fro anials, arresting of poachers, free access of people to the resources and whether it is good to conserve anials in the current situation. Fifty-two percent suggested that there should be isolation. Ninety percent, 80%, and 84%, respectively, indicated that poachers should be arrested, that it is necessary to conserve anials, and that there should be no free access. The ajority suggested, however, that easures should be taken to alleviate their probles through copensation to property daage, death, or injury. All the respondents acknowledge that poaching is rife in Kariba and attributed this to the econoic hardships faced by the residents. They noted that illegal hunting of wild anials was increasing and that only a sall percentage of the poachers were caught. This, they thought, ight explain the observed gradual decrease of anials, particularly sall anials, over the years. DISCUSSION Kariba residents appreciate the fact that wildlife in Kariba is there to stay and the developent of the town is dependent on it. They realise their heavy dependency on both wildlife resources and national park resources in general and appreciate that it is essential to conserve resources surrounding the. This is not surprising given the fact that over 50% of the are engaged in wildlife related jobs. The positive attitudes towards conservation of adjacent protected areas and resources are consistent with findings in Tanzania and other African countries. Studies of Tanzania's experience showed that over 71% of the people living within 12 ks of a park in Tanzania were strongly opposed to the abolition of adjacent protected areas, 17 while 84% of the 206 people living adjacent to Kilianjaro National Park who were surveyed were also opposed to its abolition. 18 Siilarly, only 6% of 182 people living adjacent to a conservation area in Natal, South Africa, indicated that it was uniportant to retain it. 19 Also notable is the fact 17 Newark, W. D., Leonard, N. L., Sariko, H. I., and Gaassa, D. M. "Conservation attitudes of local people living adjacent to five protected areas in Tanzania', Biological Conservation, 63(1993), Newark, W. D. and Leonard, N. L. "The attitudes of local people toward Kilianjaro National Park and Forest Reserve", Infield, M. "Attitudes of a rural counity towards conservation and a local conservation area in Natal, South Africa", Biological Conservation, 45 (1988),

10 48 CONFLICT BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE IN KARIBA TOWN, ZIMBABWE that suggestions to convert a National Park into agricultural land were strongly opposed in Arusha and Morogoro regions of Tanzania 20 and in Rwanda. 21 The reason for supporting the preservation of National Parks by local counities is that it generates revenue and foreign exchange through touris. This is particularly iportant for Kariba where the touris industry relies to a considerable extent on wild anials within the park. Touris is a ajor econoic activity and eploys 28% of the people in foral eployent. 22 There are also any tourist-oriented sall businesses, such as curio shops and sall-scale crocheting businesses. Studies elsewhere have shown that people perceive the values of conservation areas in ters of generating revenue and foreign currency through touris. 23 Counities also appreciated the need to conserve wildlife for future generations. Residents are, however, becoing intolerant to the daage inflicted on the and their properties by elephants and buffaloes. It is clear that, while residents are generally positively inclined towards conservation, this attitude can gradually becoe eroded unless they are protected fro anials and their needs are addressed. As it is, currently, in Kariba Town, people and anials can barely coexist and it is evident that policy changes are necessary to ensure that the residents' positive attitudes towards conservation do not eventually fizzle out. On this point, ost respondents suggested that one of the necessary changes is to ensure that there was inial huan/anial interaction and contact. They suggested, for instance, the erection of a perieter electric fence around the two ain high-density suburbs, Nyahunga and Mahobekobe, as has been done elsewhere under the CAMPFIRE prograe. Electric fences have been constructed under the CAMPFIRE prograe as a way of dealing with proble anials. 24 However, local 20 Pennington, H. "A living trust: Tanzanian attitudes toward wildlife and conservation", (MSc. Thesis, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1983). 21 Harcourt, A. H., Pennington, H. and Weber, A. W. "Public attitudes to wildlife and conservation in the Third World", Oryx, 20, (1986), Mhlanga, L. "Inforation on eployent, housing and education in Kariba Town, Zibabwe" (Kariba, University Lake Kariba Research Station, Zibabwe, 1986). 23 Weber, A. W. "Socioecologic factors in the conservation of the Afroontane forest reserves", in J. S. Gartlan, C.W. Marsh and R. A. Mittereier (eds.) Priate Conservation in the Tropical Rain Forest (New York, Alan R. Liss, 1987), ; Pennington, "A living trust". 24 Dzingirai, V. "Electric fencing: Why people in Bga oppose even the Idea: A challenge for council and CAMPFIRE trainers' (Harare, University of Zibabwe, Centre for Applied Social Sciences, 1993, Unpubl.); Dzlnglral, "Take back your CAMPFIRE"; Hoare, R. E. and Mackie, C. S. "Proble anial assessent and the use of fences to anage wildlife In the counal lands of Zibabwe" (Harare, World Wide Fund lor Nature, Zibabwe, 1993).

11 L MHLANGA 49 people objected strongly as they were reluctant to be restricted by fences since this, soeties, led to loss of land on the other side of the fence, liited future expansion, and excluded natural resources fro the. 25 Before fencing can be used as an option, therefore, a thorough investigation of people's opinions on the atter needs to be undertaken and the decision to proceed with fencing has to involve the participation of the people in order for the to have a sense of ownership of and responsibility for the project. 26 Where fences were put up without consultations with the local people, they have been pulled down. For instance, an electric fence installed around Liwonde National Park in Malawi was stripped as local people used the fence wire to produce snares, while poaching for gae eat inside the Conservation Park increased draatically. 27 It is thus necessary to address the probles that Kariba residents are experiencing and to encourage the to participate actively in the anageent and conservation of the resources around the. It is now well accepted that, to reduce Africa's wildlife survival crisis, local people should participate fully in their anageent and conservation. It is being suggested here that the solution to Kariba's probles requires an integrated proble solving approach in the short and long run. Possible solutions are discussed below. For exaple, extension of benefits to residents can help to aeliorate huan-wildlife conflict in Kariba. At present, residents perceive that they are benefiting fro the resource indirectly through their involveent in the touris industry. Since this is already perceived as a tangible benefit, educating the rest of the residents that benefits of eployent and the generation of revenue and foreign exchange by protecting wildlife are iportant can foster this attitude. There is also need to increase the participation of locals in the touris industry in the for of either new business ventures or cooperatives. Efforts should also be ade to encourage the local people to engage in sall-scale tourist facilities such as sall restaurants, arkets, craft centres and bed and breakfast facilities. In addition, regardless of Kariba's urban setting, it is iportant to ensure that residents have a eaningful level of control over, or ownership of, the wildlife with which they share the land and to educate the about the fact that, by anaging the wildlife wisely, they can benefit fro it. With an estiated population of people and an "annual population 25 Dzlnyiral, "Electric fencing". 26 World Wide Fund For Nature, "Conserving Africa's Elephant" (World Wide Fund For Nature. 1997). 27 Ibid.

12 50 CONFLICT BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE IN KARIBA TOWN, ZIMBABWE growth rate of 5.5%, 28 it ay not be possible for each household to derive direct benefits. Benefits ay be non-consuptive, for exaple, through involveent in the touris industry. A fund can also be set up where contributions are drawn fro all stakeholders in Kariba and the DNPWLM, who derive benefits fro aintaining wildlife in the urban area. This fund would be used to assist and/or copensate victis of wildlife injuries and/or deaths and to fund iproveents in the town's social infrastructure. A participatory process should be used to deterine the extent and nature of benefits that the residents require. As a long-ter solution, there is need to educate the counity about wildlife conservation and how to coexist with anials. This is very iportant and has potential to alleviate soe of the existing probles. Education prograes will create ore positive attitudes towards wildlife conservation in future. This has already been enacted as Policy C5 (iii) in the Kariba Lakeshore Cobination Master Plan stating that "council should educate local residents on the value of wildlife and on the ways to live with wild anials". 29 Town planning and developent has a significant bearing, both in the present and in the future, on the present probles. If gae corridors are not protected fro property developers, the probles of huan/ anial interference will persist and worsen in future. It is necessary that town planners reserve the corridors for wildlife oveent in order to perit the oveent of anials fro inland to the lakeshore. Land-use planners have to realise that reducing encounters between people and anials can iniise conflict situations. As part of the Parks Planning Prograe, the DNPWLM should consider the creation of a buffer zone between Kariba town and the National Parks. Liited usage of the buffer zone by residents for natural resources such as fuel wood and edicinal plants can ultiately reduce the conflict. Furtherore, there is need for conservation authorities to carry out periodic inventories of anials in Kariba's surroundings so that they are always aware of the ratios of anials to people and plan accordingly. As it is, it is possible that the population of soe anials, especially baboons, has increased beyond the carrying capacity and need to be culled. Another factor that has to be considered is possible anial behavioural change due to hunting pressure, over exposure to tourists, and huan encroachent. For exaple, elephants see to ove fro hunting areas towards Kariba town in order to escape threats fro poachers. It would 28 Conyers and Mlalazi, "Kariba: Whose town?", Cobination Authority, Kariba Lakeshore Cobination Master Plan. Written Stateent (Harare, Ministry of Physical Planning and National Housing, Departent of Physical Planning, Zibabwe, 1998).

13 L MHLANGA 51 also appear as if the increase in huan-elephant conflicts is due to the fact that elephants are becoing ore aggressive and are going out of their way to attack people. 30 More baboons are now invading hoes in search of food. It is therefore necessary to understand these various issues before policies such as culling, are ipleented, especially given the fact that soe anial species, such as elephants, are protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Sustainability of national park resources surrounding Kariba town is dependent on attitudes of the residents. The existing conflicts have to be addressed in order to ensure that positive attitudes towards wildlife are aintained. Although Kariba residents resent the probles caused by anials, a high proportion of the still have a positive attitude towards wildlife conservation. In order to foster this attitude, it is necessary to resolve the existing conflicts. The survival of wildlife in national parks surrounding Kariba will ultiately depend on changing the perceptions of the people. 30 Conyers and Mlalazi, "Kariba: Whose Town?",