In an interview at last week’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, the Authority’s Senior Extension Interpretation officer, Timothy Kuguyo, said they had embarked on sustainable wildlife conservation programmes in communities, schools, colleges and resettlement areas where wildlife poaching is rampant.
“A lot of people only think of meat when they see a wild animal. There is a lot of economic, scientific, educational and aesthetic value in wildlife. We want communities to practice these values by practising sustainable conservation,” he said.
The authority said his organisation is encouraging villagers living near wildlife areas to mount beehives on the periphery of their fields.
“Bees releases a scent which scares away wild animals, particularly elephants .This method of protection has greatly improved harvests of farmers who cannot afford electric fences,” said Kuguyo.
Kaguyo said the discovery of pepper as a natural protection against elephants has also improved harvests in wild life populated areas.
Post published in: Environment