01/03/2023
Is wildlife conservation purely working alongside animals?
Short answer is no, their are many aspects of conservation. One of the biggest contributors to wildlife conservation efforts is the surrounding communities.
Involving the community not only gets them intrigued in understanding animals on a deeper level but it also greatly reduces human-wildlife conflict. How so? One great example is getting the communities to name new animals that come into the area.
Members of the Botswana Carnivore Forum hold naming ceremonies with the local villages in the areas when a new lion enters their study area. This then fosters a bond between the farmers and the lions, meaning the farmers are less likely to kill the lions when they come within close proximity to their livestock. Human-wildlife mitigation solution :)
Photo Credit: Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably Conservancy and Botswana Carnivore Forum