An educational comic book on human-animal conflict on the borders of protected areas.
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GUARDIAN
2nd Edition - 2014
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The purpose of this comic book This educational comic book was conceptualised as a way of informing children in the communities adjacent to National Parks and Protected areas of Zimbabwe of some of the issues surrounding human / wildlife conflict and to introduce ways in which livestock might be better protected to reduce losses to wild carnivores, and suggest ways for people to protect their crops from elephant, improving the livelihoods of many villages that live on the edge of these conservation areas. A key goal of this book is to highlight the differences between poaching and sustainable hunting, and to explain the importance of balance of all species in the ecosystem. The printing of this comic book was made possible by the generous donation from Safari Club International Foundation.
Local contact details to report lion sightings and problem lions and other carnivores
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Contact person: The Area Manager, Zambezi National Park Phone number: 013 44352
Conflict Hotline Cell Phone Number: 0774951908 Leave a message or send a text to this number to report any problem you have witwwh carnivores or let us know if you have seen a wild carnivore in your area
Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Contact person: Mr Bongani Dlodlo • Cell phone number: 0712 773 746 • Email: bongani@vicfallswildlifetrust.org Contact person: Mr Roger Parry • Cell phone number: 0712 217 171 © Brian Courtenay – SATIB Conservation Trust. This publication is distributed free of charge in the interests of community conservation in Zimbabwe. Whilst we have endeavoured to provide accurate information and facts in this publication, the author, sponsors, Safari Club International Foundation, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and their staff cannot be held liable in any way for damages of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from any facts or information provided or omitted in this publication.
We would also like to recognise the support of GWM Motors South Africa, DHL Express, Satib Insurance Brokers, Tourism Tattler and Satib Conservation Trust for their logistical support.
Illustrations, layout and design by Des Langkilde. Published by Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd.
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The rainy season has not arrived where I live on the border of the National Conservation Park. This should be the time of year when everything regrows, when crops begin to show above the ground, calves are born and there is plenty milk to make the sour milk, pans fill with water for livestock and everyone is happy that the dry season is finally over. But this year it is not!
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Everybody is unhappy – especially me – an ordinary herd-boy and schoolboy. We have lost many cattle and my father puts their horns on top of our hut to remind us of how many we once had. Hello! My name is Vusumuzi but everybody calls me Vusa, and this is my story..
I live on the border of the National Park where there are many wonderful animals. But sometimes when we have to protect our crops in the field from hungry wild animals I hardly sleep!
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I live for nothing but to look after my father’s livestock. In my village, owning cattle, donkeys and oxen means wealth, power and a savings to fall back on during difficult times. But more importantly, they give my father respect in our community. Well, they used to – that is why I am sad.
Over the past few months we have lost so much of my fathers wealth to lions and hyaenas. We are left with only one ox and one donkey. I wonder how we are going to plough the land – can these two pull the plough together? I wonder!
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Waiting for the rain to come is the worst time for me. I wake up before sunrise to help my father yoke the only remaining ox alongside our donkey. My mother waits at the field gate – she wants us to finish the ploughing today because tomorrow is the cultural day of rest, when no one is allowed to work in the fields.
I walk to the kraal to fetch our beasts but cannot see the donkey – only the ox. I search around the back and then I see it, or rather what is left of it – just the head and hooves! I call out in panic to my father – lion!
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Vusa, your father’s wealth is gone and times will be hard for you and your family as it is All for the whole village. But you must animals, big and not blame the wild animals. small have a place on earth. They too are trying to survive The lions keep the number of wild – just like us grazing animals down so that our cattle have grass to graze on. Even hyaenas are good in a way – they together with vultures, keep the bush clear of rotting carcasses to avoid disease.
In the old days, our custom was to herd the cattle – to protect them from predators. This was a highly respected job.
Our traditional beliefs, like praying to the gods for rain and protection is no longer practiced.
But today, young men are leaving the village to work in the big cities. The cattle are no longer herded and put in a strong kraal at night. They are left to roam around the village so they are easy prey for hungry lions and hyaenas.
We no longer pay tribute to the ‘Rain Maker’ Lion iSilwane Seluwankano. Because of these things, there has been little rain and the roar of iSilwane Seluwankano no longer means a bumper crop. It now means that more of our village’s wealth will be lost this night!
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Yes Babamkhulu, you are right. Just last night a Lion took our last donkey! iSilwane Seluwankano must be very angry! I really want to get my hands on that lion! I would even help my dad put out the poison to get rid of the lion, so we can save our last ox.
uGogo uMaMoyo lost two donkeys last night! But they were not put in the kraal because it is broken and we Gogo have no men to fix it. is still not sure whether it was a lion, hyaena or leopard that killed these donkeys.
Vusa, you must not put out poison for the wild animals, you will kill more than just the lion or hyaena that killed your donkey. Other animals such as vultures will eat the animal you poisoned and they too will die and then what will clean up the carcasses of other dead animals? Those vultures caused you no harm and they help us know when other animals have been lost.
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Vusa, do you remember when we walked in the bush last time and you saw a spoor with a funny bent back toe, and you said it was a lion? It wasn’t, it was actually a hyaena spoor – which looks a lot like a cheetah spoor because both animals leave nail prints on the ground when they walk.
Wow! They do look alike, but have some small differences!
Yes my grandson, as you grow up you will find it is easy to say out the differences. Leopards and cheetahs will go for smaller animals and young stock. Also cheetahs only hunt during the day whereas leopard are active at night.
We must remember that wild animals also bring us wealth. My other son is a game ranger. Tell us what your uncle says Vusa.
He says that our wild animals bring tourists to our country, who spend lots of money to see them. This money helps protect the animals and gives our people jobs.
My aunt is a cook at a safari lodge nearby and she sends us money for my mother to buy food and pay my school fees for me!
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You must herd the cattle to pasture and stay with them during the day. Then at night they must be herded into the kraal. This is very important because most livestock are killed when they are left outside the kraals at night when lions and hyaenas are active. We must protect our livestock by watching over them during the day and keeping them in a strong kraal at night...
...we must also protect our crops from elephant by digging trenches around the field and being vigilant at night. Making noise to scare off the elephant can help save our crops and keep the elephant away. Some people even plant chili plants around their fields because elephant do not like the smell of chili...
...we must also tell our people to stop poaching. When there are no wild animals to eat, lions and hyaenas are hungry and they come to eat our domestic animals. Wild animals caught in snares attract predators and bring them closer to our village.
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What is poaching khulu?
So the hunters we see shooting our animals are poaching?
Because it is a crime to kill wild animals without permission from National Parks authorities, people who kill wild animals for meat, tusks and other parts are called poachers. Killing can be through wire snares, bullets or even poisoning. Poisoning has serious effects too.
Hunters are different from poachers. Hunters get permission from the National Parks authorities and our Rural District Council and that permission is called a permit. A hunter’s permit is a letter that allows that hunter to shoot a limited number of wild animals allocated by National Parks, which is sustainable. The money from hunting of those animals goes to the entire community, and helps us build the school that you should be attending!
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Now I know the difference. But still on that, what can we do to prevent our livestock from being killed by predators and also to protect our wildlife from poachers?
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It’s up to families to decide which plan works best for them. But I also like the idea of people hiring labour to fully herd livestock, then at least you can get time to do your homework.
School is very important, you get to read and write and maybe one day be a Wildlife Researcher or a Professional Guide, but certainly not a poacher! Vusa, you still have to go to school so you can become a researcher and help our community one day - you can’t spend all your time tending cattle anymore.
There are people who study animals in the National Park. They are called researchers. I have heard that they want to help local people to protect livestock and crops, and live in harmony with wild animals.
They study predators and elephant to understand their behavior, and to find ways to reduce conflicts with people. The researchers put radio collars on some of the animals, including lions. The radio signal is sent to a computer, where the animal’s movements can be tracked!
Hou! I can see how understanding where the lions move to, and why, will try and help us find better solutions to living in harmony.
Perhaps we can ask the researchers to help warn the community when collared lions move out of the park?
With the help of National Parks, they can scare the lions off the communal lands. That way our cattle might be safe, and we will not have to kill the lions anymore!
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We will have to sit down as a community and maybe ask National Parks and Researchers if they can help us with this idea. If the community, research organisations, and National Parks all combine ideas, maybe something good will come out of it.
I will ask these researchers for a radio collar to put on YOU, Vusa mahlakanipheni! So that I know where you are - now come and get your supper!
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PREDATOR SPOOR Researchers also do ‘spoor counts’ (spoor is a word meaning animal tracks), to help researchers identify the number of predators living in different parts of the ecosystem and show where and when the animals migrate. As Babamkhulu has said, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the spoor of predators, but as you can see below, lion paw prints are much bigger than Leopard, Hyaena, Cheetah and Wild Dog. Lion and Leopard spoor also do not show claw marks. There are many names for these predators in different African languages - can you think of their names in other languages?
Right back paw
Right front paw
Sotho – Nkwe Swahili – Chui Venda – Ingwe Xhosa – Ingwe Zulu – Ingwe
Right back paw
Right front paw
CHEETAH Afrikaans – Jagluiperd Ndebele – Ihlosi Tswana – Lengau Shangaan – Xikankanka Shona – Didingwe
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5
Right back paw
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Right front paw
LION Afrikaans – Leeu Ndebele – Isilwane Tswana – Tau Shangaan – Ngala Shona – Shumba
Right back paw
Sotho – Tau Swahili – Simba Venda – Ndau Xhosa – Isigidi Zulu – Ingonyama
Right front paw
SPOTTED HYAENA
LEOPARD Afrikaans – Luiperd Ndebele – Mbada Tswana – Nkwe Shangaan – Yingwe Shona – Nyati
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Sotho – Lengau Swahili – Duma Venda – Didingwe Xhosa – Ihlosi Zulu – Ingulule
Afrikaans – Hiëna Ndebele – Impisi Tswana – Phiri Shangaan – Mhisi Shona – Bere
Right back paw
Sotho – Sentawana Swahili – Fisi Venda – Phele Xhosa – Mpisi Zulu – Mpisi
Right front paw
AFRICAN WILD DOG Afrikaans – Wildehond Ndebele – Iganyana Tswana – Lethalerwa Shangaan – Mahlolwa Shona – Mhumhi
Sotho – Lekanyane Swahili – Mbwa mwitu Venda – Ngwe Xhosa – Ixhwili Zulu – Inkentshane
For more information about this project please contact VFWT via info@vicfallswildlifetrust.org or online at www.vicfallswildlifetrust.org
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