Much has been written on the complex issue of wildlife conservation in Africa. Seen from afar, the issues are hard to understand, and it’s easy to become precious. However conservation is meaningless unless accompanied by development, and due to the relationship between habitat and species, any initiative must be holistic i.e. involve the entire ecosystem rather than individual species – including human.
Despite Africa’s national park systems and the best efforts of authorities to eradicate it, poaching is on the rise in some countries. One notable exception to this is Namibia; mainly as a result of the development of conservancy areas being developed in partnership with local communities.
Local people have always hunted animals for food. But increased human populations conspire with more efficient means of hunting to create massive pressure on wildlife. One result of establishing a national park is that wildlife becomes state property, and those who depend on wildlife as a source of food are driven to poach in order to survive.
In 1998 there were four conservancy areas in Namibia, but in 2011 there are now 64, with another 25 planned. 51,000 km2, some 6% of the country, is given over to conservation. Since this visionary initiative began in 1996 animal populations have increased and the statistics speak for themselves. The number of springboks has grown from 2,000 to an estimated 70,000, and the lion population, which had been almost eradicated, to 120!
Community-based tourism is on the increase, with many projects linked directly to conservation initiatives. Save the Rhino Trust, based in Kunene Conservancy Area in northern Namibia, monitors the rhino population to build up a valuable information database. However, equal importance is given to community outreach and training about the contribution that properly planned tourism can make.
The essential message is: unhappy rhinos = unhappy visitors = unhappy communities. If communities fail to safeguard the natural resource that attracts visitors, whose presence creates employment and injects funds into the local economy, those communities will suffer and miss opportunities for development. This may be simplistic but is, at least, easily understandable.
As part of the balancing act, to minimise the disturbance from humans the Kunene Conservancy has introduced strict limits on the time visitors can watch rhino and the distance to be maintained between vehicles and animals. This plays a part in fostering the rhino’s natural environment and contributes to its ongoing success.
To see the positive effects of well thought through conservation initiatives in action visit Namibia. Contact us for a tailor-made itinerary or join us on a group tour.
For more black rhino spotting try:
Tailormade: The Spirit of Tanzania
When: Daily, year round
How much: £2,830
Tailormade: Wings over Tanzania
When: June to March
How much: £5,295
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