Wildlife conservation will fail without close scientific study, say experts

By Calvin Manika for Community Podium News

Researching wildlife and its habitats is key to protecting them and educating people at all levels of society about their value, Zimbabwean conservationists, hunters, and scientists all agreed in interviews with Community Podium.

Stakeholders have accentuated the importance of research in wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe as a basis for the dissemination of correct information, as well as informing policy actions.

A stretch of the country’s northwest from Gwayi River to Victoria Falls is replete with wildlife conservancies and several hunting concessions. Some of these concessions are adjacent to the Hwange, Zambezi and Victoria Falls national parks.

Mthokozisi Ncube, who owns a hunting concession in the Gwayi area says, apart from hunting, he has worked with clients involved in extensive wildlife research, which he credits for the survival of species in the wild and sustainability of natural resources.

“When I first took possession of this land, it was just about business through hunting permits. But I soon realised that allowing people to just hunt without information on wildlife was not sustainable. Whenever I meet people who want to do research on animals, trees or birds I gladly open my doors because I benefit from their findings and it helps the whole ecosystem,” said Ncube.

A wildlife conservation champion and Chief Executive Officer of Birdlife Zimbabwe, Julia Pierene said, “Scientific research is critically important in wildlife and nature conservation. We are living in a fast changing world and we need to closely monitor the impacts – of a changing climate and of a growing human population with increasingly strident demands for development – on our fragile natural ecosystems and biodiversity that ultimately sustain life on earth.”

Mukai Mutasa, an ecologist said the extent of research in any given area likely affects the conservation methods implemented.

“For example, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uses journal paper publications to assess the output of conservation studies globally, and uses the results to plan conservation efforts and add endangered species to the Red List. The status of biological conservation for example, protection activity and endangered species may also be linked to the extent of conservation research activity in a given country,” said Mutasa.

He added; “Besides coming up with recommendations, wildlife research can also play an important role in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing conservation policies and strategies.”

In May 2019, the United Nations published a Global Assessment Report, which revealed that at least one million species worldwide are at risk of extinction within the next decades, and that radical action is necessary to conserve the Earth’s ecosystems. Ecologists and biologists say to successfully inform conservation priorities and design conservation measures, it is necessary to understand the biology of wildlife species, assess the impact of biodiversity loss and monitor changes in species communities.

An animal rights activist in Gwayi, Brighton Muzamba, said researchers should seek to minimise any negative impact on the welfare of animals involved.

“Many field studies involve manipulating the animals under study. This involves capture, marking and other additional procedures, and/or a combination of these, which can cause distress. It is therefore vitally important to carry out such procedures according to ‘best practice’ and to monitor the animals for potential adverse effects,” said Muzamba.

In July 2015, a popular big cat that was being extensively studied by a large team of researchers, ‘Cecil the lion’, was killed with bow and arrow by Walter Palmer, a Minnesota dentist and avid trophy hunter in the Gwayi Wildlife Conservancy.

When Cecil was killed, the local community was not aware until a researcher Andrew Loveridge raised the alarm as he was monitoring it through the GPS. Loveridge, an Oxford University biologist, was studying Cecil for eight years prior to his death and had last seen him a month and half before he was killed.

According to Loveridge, in his memoir, Lion Hearted: The Life and Death of Cecil and The Future of Africa’s Iconic Cats, 42 of their collared male study animals, including Cecil, have been trophy hunted since the research began in 1999. The memoir revealed that there was no paperwork for a lion hunt in the areas concerned, which prompted the senior wildlife officer to order an investigation. Walter Palmer allegedly paid US$50,000 (£41,500) to Honest Ndlovu, the owner of Antoinette Farm, to shoot Cecil with his bow.

According to the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14 Section 39, researchers may obtain a permit to remove animals or animal products from a safari area, “provided that the National Parks Authority shall not issue any such permit to remove any animal or any part of an animal unless it is satisfied that the removal is necessary for scientific purposes; or educational purposes; or providing specimens for a museum, zoological garden or similar institution; and any other purpose which, in the opinion of the Authority, is in the interests of the conservation of animals.”

A wide variety of wildlife is used in research, this includes mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, amphibians and invertebrates, in studies aimed at understanding species behaviour and ecology, species conservation, population management, evaluating methodologies for control and understanding the role of wildlife in disease transmission.

Mike Moyo, who manages a wildlife conservancy in Gwayi said wildlife research in Zimbabwe is providing an opportunity for knowledge and experience sharing on best practices, challenges and strategies.

“Since I started to work with various researchers both locally and internationally, I found the research useful. As conservation managers, we are informed on where we should focus our interventions to achieve maximum results,” said Moyo.

Findings by this publication show that the majority of researchers are international.

Stakeholders in wildlife conservation say research findings are the basis for informing policy actions and recommending appropriate strategies to address the existing and potential conservation challenges.

This article is reproduced here as part of the Space for Giants African Conservation Journalism Programme, supported by the major shareholder of ESI Media, which includes independent.co.uk. It aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Read the original story here.