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Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflict: GPS Tracking System Protects Communities Near Hwange National Park
In Hwange, Zimbabwe, a novel approach is being used to mitigate human-elephant conflict. When GPS alerts indicate that an elephant herd is moving towards settlements bordering Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, Capon Sibanda acts swiftly. He disseminates cautions via WhatsApp groups and personally informs inhabitants without phone access, using his bicycle to reach those beyond network range.
Innovative Tracking System Launched to Reduce Conflict
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare initiated this innovative system of monitoring elephants using GPS collars last year. The chief aim is to avert hazardous encounters between humans and elephants, occurrences that have become more prevalent due to climate change intensifying the struggle for resources like food and water.
- GPS collars track elephant movements.
- Real-time alerts warn communities of approaching herds.
- System aims to reduce human-elephant conflict exacerbated by climate change.
“Initially, it presented considerable challenges, but it’s evolving into something remarkable,” commented Sibanda, 29, a local volunteer who received training as a community guardian.
Traditional Methods Augmented by Technology
For generations, villagers have relied on methods such as clanging pots, shouting, or igniting dung fires to deter elephants. However, escalating droughts and diminishing resources have driven elephants to escalate raids on villages, leading to the destruction of crops and infrastructure, and in some instances, causing injuries or fatalities.
Zimbabwe’s Elephant Population and Conservation Challenges
Zimbabwe’s elephant numbers are approximated at 100,000, nearly twice the land’s sustainable capacity. The country has refrained from culling elephants for almost four decades due to pressure from wildlife advocates and the high costs associated with the process, according to parks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo.
Human-Wildlife Conflict: A Deadly Reality
Conflicts involving humans with animals such as elephants, lions, and hyenas resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals across Zimbabwe between January and April of this year. This situation compelled park authorities to eliminate 158 “problem” animals during the same period.
“Droughts are intensifying. The elephants consume the minimal yields we manage to harvest,” explained Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending to her tomato plants with fertilizer in a communal garden that also sustains a school feeding initiative.
Real-Time Monitoring with EarthRanger Platform
Technology currently bolsters traditional methods. Utilizing the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities monitor collared elephants in real time. Maps depict their closeness to a buffer zone—defined on digital maps instead of physical fences—that separates the park and hunting areas from community lands.
At a park eatery, IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa observed moving icons on his laptop while awaiting his meal. When an icon crossed a designated boundary, signaling a violation, an alert was triggered.
“We will be able to observe the interactions between wildlife and people,” Tshipa stated. “This enables us to allocate more resources to specific areas.”
Data Collection and Community Guardians
The system also records incidents involving crop damage, attacks on people and livestock by predators, and retaliatory actions by humans against wildlife. The location of community guardians, like Capon Sibanda, is also tracked.
“Every morning, I grab my bike and my gadget and venture out,” Sibanda explained. He gathers and stores data on his phone, frequently including photos. “Almost instantly,” he says, warnings are transmitted to rangers and villagers.
His dedication has garnered respect from local residents, who sometimes reward him with crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allowance, as well as internet access.
Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa affirmed that the platform ensures that “conservation strategies are based on sound scientific data.”
Community Perspectives and Lingering Concerns
Villagers, like Senzeni Sibanda, acknowledge the system’s positive impacts: “We still use traditional deterrents, but now we receive timely warnings, and rangers respond more rapidly.”
However, frustration persists. Senzeni Sibanda has experienced crop losses and damage to water infrastructure due to elephant incursions and desires more decisive action. “Why aren’t you implementing culling measures so that we can benefit?” she inquired. “We possess an overpopulation of elephants.”
Her community, comprising several hundred individuals, receives a minimal portion of the annual hunting revenues, typically equivalent to the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, allocated towards water repairs or fencing. She advocates for an increase in Zimbabwe’s hunting quota, which is currently set at 500 elephants annually, and a larger share for her community.
The Elephant Debate: A Global Issue
The issue of elephant management has gained global attention. Last September, activists staged protests following Zimbabwe and Namibia’s propositions to slaughter elephants to provide food for communities affected by drought. Botswana’s then-president offered to donate 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country’s wildlife minister sarcastically suggested sending 10,000 elephants to Hyde Park in London to provide Britons with “a taste of living alongside elephants.”
GPS Collaring: A Potential Solution with Limitations
Zimbabwe’s GPS elephant collaring project could offer a step in the right direction. Sixteen elephants, primarily matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, enabling rangers to follow entire herds by tracking the herd leaders. Nonetheless, Hwange is home to approximately 45,000 elephants, while officials claim it can sustainably support only 15,000. Project administrators recognize the significant gap that still exists.
Collaring Operation: A Race Against Time
During a recent collaring operation, a group of ecologists, veterinarians, trackers, and rangers located a herd. A marksman tranquilized the matriarch from a safe distance. Following some tracking with a drone and a truck, team members secured the collar, which has a battery life of two to four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers armed with rifles maintained vigilance.
Once the collar was securely fastened, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch stumbled back into the wilderness, flapping her ears.
“Every moment is critical,” emphasized Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian.