Wild animals

THE UTILISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF WILD ANIMALS (FAUNA)

 Identify and locate on a map areas of wildlife management in Botswana

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 Q: Wildlife and Habitat Conversation in Botswana.

The involvement of most Batswana in the use of wildlife has proved to be of considerable advantage to wildlife and
habitat conservation. Approximately 15% of Botswana, covering a cross-section of all major habitat, is designated
as national parks and game reserves.

i. Name and locate on a sketch map one national park in Botswana. Include two geographical features to help
locate the area.
ii. Name and locate on a sketch map of Botswana, one Game Reserve. Mark and label two geographical features
which help to show accurately the position of the Game Reserve.

 Discuss the importance of wild animals as a resource to Botswana’s economy

Q: State benefits of national parks to a country.
Q: Give reasons why it is important to protect wildlife.
Q: Describe the importance of wild animals to the economy of Botswana.
Q: How is wildlife important to Botswana?
 Source of raw material for leather and craft/manufacturing industries
 Tourist attraction/promotes tourism/used for recreational purpose
 Generates revenue through taxes, gate fees and trophies
 Source of foreign exchange
 Source of food
 Source of employment/income
 Leads to establishment of other industries
 Development of infrastructure

Q: How could Gaborone Game Reserve benefit the people in Gaborone and surrounding areas?
 Tourist attraction/promotes tourism/used for recreational purpose
 Source of food
 Source of employment/income
 Leads to establishment of other industries
 Development of infrastructure
 They are a source of medicine
 They can be used for education/research
 Conservation

Q: What is being done to promote wildlife conservation in Botswana?

 Government set aside land for wildlife management

 Put in place laws and policies that aim at protecting and conserving wildlife
 Commitment to international agreements aimed at conserving natural resources e.g. CITES
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), IUCN (International Union for
Conservation of Nature Cheetah Conservation Botswana
 Government control and regulate hunting and prevent poaching

 Discuss the impacts of wild animals on the environment

Q: Describe negative effects of wild animals on the environment.

Negative effects of wild animals on the environment are:

 Deforestation/destruction of natural vegetation
 Overgrazing

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  Soil erosion
 Pollution/contamination of water sources
 Spread of diseases/pests
 Destruction of crops and livestock
 Rangeland degradation

Q: What problems are likely to be experienced by local people living near a Game Reserve?

Negative effects on people/ Problems wild animals have on locals or people living around the National
Parks and Game Reserves
 Wild animals destroy their crops
 Wild animals kill domestic animals/human beings
 Competition for land
 Depletion of surface water
 Spread of diseases

Positive impacts are:

 Maintain a balance the ecosystem/ensuring that the environment functions properly

 They add humus to the soil improving soil fertility
 Beautify/decorates the environment

 Discuss the conflicts between the management of wild animals and other land use activities
About 17% of Botswana’s land is reserved for wildlife management. But this is coming under pressure as
the population increases and the demand for food increases. This means expansion of settlements and
farming land hence the demand that land currently reserve for wildlife be freed for agriculture,
settlements, industries and mining.

Q: What conflicts may arise between the management of wild animals and other land-use activities?
 Wild animals vs. arable farming/arable agriculture
 Wild animals destroy crops
 National Parks and Game Reserves deny people land for farming
 As a result farmers hunt down and kill wild animals in revenge
 Then government jails those farmers who kill wild animals leading to more tension
 Wild animals vs. livestock farming/pastoral farming
 Wild animals kill livestock/lions and hyenas kill goats, sheep and cattle
 As a result farmers hunt down and kill wild animals in revenge
 Then government jails those farmers who kill wild animals leading to more tension
 Wild animals deplete the water that could be used by cattle
 Wild animals keep and transmit animal diseases such as foot and mouth to cattle
 Wild animals overgraze rangelands
 Veterinary/cordon fences block migration routes of wild animals and this creates
conflict between the departments of Wildlife and Animal Health and Production
 Wild animals vs. settlements
 When population increase more people look to the wildlife areas for land to build, farm,
hunt and collect fuel wood
 This causes conflict between communities and wildlife authorities, communities and
tourist firms
 Wild animals vs. industries
 Wild animals occupy land that could be used for mineral exploration
 As a result there is a conflict between development of manufacturing industries and
management of wild animals

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  Wild animals vs. mining
 Wild animals occupy land that could be used for mineral exploration
 As a result there is a conflict between development of mining areas and management of
wild animals

Q: State land use activities in Botswana that compete with wildlife for the use of land.
Activities that compete with wildlife management are:
 Livestock farming
 Arable agriculture
 Industries
 Settlements
 Mining

Q: Describe the problems associated with management of wild animals in Botswana.

 Abuse of the hunting system by citizens which leads to over hunting

 Prolonged droughts
 Veld fires
 Poaching/unlawful killing of wild animals
 Many people have difficulty in understanding why potential grazing areas should be reserved for wildlife
management since they do not appreciate the contribution of wildlife to tourism
 Batswana see wild animals as a source of meat
 Batswana see wild animals as a threat to human existence/competition with other land uses
 Many people in rural areas see no role for personal involvement in conservation of wildlife

 Evaluate the role of the stakeholders in the sustainable use of wild animals in Botswana
 Government
 Formulates laws/regulations/legislation that controls the use of wild animals. Some are:
a) Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act 1972
b) Fish Protection Act 1975
c) Forest Act 1968
d) Herbage Prevention Act 1978
 Preparation of management plans for National Parks, Game Reserves, wildlife management areas
 Promotes community management of natural resources
 Provides boreholes/water points for wild animals
 Department of Wildlife and National Parks which deals with the management of wild animals
 National Conservation Strategy Coordinating Agency (NCSA)
 Set aside land for wildlife conservation and management/Wildlife management areas/game
reserves/national parks
 Local authorities
 Land Board allocate land and monitors its proper use
 Other law enforcing departments ensure implementation of policies
 Local communities
 CBNRM to promote economic and social benefits. The first project was the Chobe Enclave
Conservation Trust; there are 46 groups in 150 villages.
 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
 Somarelang Tikologo
 Mobilise the public to monitor and protect the environment
 Educates the public on conservation issues
 Lobby for good environment management

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  Encourage the adoption and effective implementation of environmental legislation and
policies
 Carry out research on environmental protection and its conservation
 Cooperation for Research Development and Education (CORDE)
 Promotes sustainable agriculture
 Train other NGOs on management and organization skills
 Provide advocacy
 Facilitate access to resources
 Forestry Association of Botswana
 Promotes research and extension on forestry
 Educates and raise awareness
 Encourage woodland conservation
 Kalahari Conservation Society
 Encourage and finance ecological research in fauna and their management and conservation
 Support conservation policies on wildlife
 Promote environmental education
 Lobby for wildlife conservation
 Forum on Sustainable Agriculture (FONSAG)
 Promote sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation
 Research
 Advocate to support policy change on sustainable agriculture and proper use of natural
resources
 Education
 Capacity building among members

Q: Suggest three ways in which Non-Governmental Organisations help in the sustainable use of wild
animals. (3)

 Education/research
 Funding of research projects
 Protection of endangered species
 Support government policies