The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has recorded a slight decrease in the number of people killed by wild animals since last year, reported the Southern Eye.
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said that 15 people were killed by wild animals during the first quarter of 2023 compared to 22 killed during the same period last year. Said Farawo:
We have noticed a slight decrease in the number of people who have been killed by wild animals since last year.
Last year, we lost about 22 lives in the first quarter compared to 15 during the same period this year.
ZimParks said it trans-located 150 elephants in Hwange in the first quarter of 2023, the same as last year, as a way of dealing with overpopulation.
According to a study, the root causes of human–wildlife conflicts include agricultural expansion (30%), human settlement (24%), overgrazing by livestock (14%), deforestation (18%), illegal grass collection (10%) and poaching (4%).
An international ban on the trade in wildlife products and species has been blamed for an increase in the elephant population in Hwange National Park.
According to ZimParks, the elephant population in the game park is more than 50 000, far beyond its holding capacity of at least 15 000.
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