By Irvin Muyumbwa
Government has revealed that 61 people died and 45 were left injured last year alone as a result of human-wildlife conflict which had a total number of 10,487 incidences of conflict recorded in the same period.
Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba said yesterday in a ministerial statement to Parliament that this is against 8,765 incidences recorded in 2019 in which 35 people were left injured and 45 were killed due to the human animal conflict across the country.
Mr Sikumba says government recognizes that human-animal conflict is a perennial problem which is attributed to encroachment and increased population around national parks and game management areas as well as animals moving from their natural habitats.
And Mr Sikumba says human-wildlife conflict has had an impact on livestock and crops as records show that last year, the reported total loss of domestic animals was 180 which included 93 herds of cattle, 73 goats, 6 dogs, 4 sheep and 4 pigs due to predator and herbivore species.
Meanwhile, Mr Sikumba says government has finalized the development of a community based resource policy and will promote the development of a general management plan for protected areas.
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