Trying to Solve the Conflict of Cheetah Versus Livestock


Namibia Economist (Windhoek)

July 29, 2005
Posted to the web July 29, 2005

Windhoek

For the past three weeks, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) hosted one-week long courses in Integrated Livestock and Wildlife Management between July 3 and 22 July at the CCF's Research and Education Centre outside Otjiwarongo. The course was sponsored by the CCF, the Smithsonian Institute (USA), Namibia Wilderness Safaris and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Teaching communal farmers practices to reduce the conflict between cheetahs and livestock was done in as practical a manner as possible. Instructors showed farmers that stock losses can be reduced or prevented through simple practical measures. The value of wildlife as an additional source of income from tourism parallel to cattle farming has become a cornerstone of conservation.


Over 45 communal conservancy farmers and representatives from the MET and NGO's attended the workshop each week. Participants came from conservancies in the north and northwest and eastern communal areas like the Kavango and Caprivi. The objectives of the course were to provide all participants with an understanding of the economic and ecological value of integrated livestock and wildlife management. A desire to protect and integrate predators into their farming and conservancy areas was discussed and participants were taught how to correctly identify causes of livestock losses due to predators, including the use of Livestock Guard Dogs. The CCF's Bonnie Schumann, course co-ordinator, said that " â-oe courses like these provide practical, hands-on skills in agriculture and conservation management, both of which support Namibia's economy."


Course events included team building activities, lectures on veterinary care, predator importance and identification, management techniques and more. Practical field activities are also held, where participants investigate mock kill sites to determine which predator caused the kill. 'A Farmer's Guide' was used as the basis for these continuing workshops on predator killed livestock. The CCF's 'Integrated Livestock and Predator Management' was also used. A variety of other lecturers joined the course each week, each bringing their area of expertise to the participants.

These included Dr. Arthur Bagot-Smith, Colin Nott, Selma Nangulah, Johan Britz, Karin le Roux, Laly Lichtenfeld, Andrew Stein, Robin Lyons, Michael Mumbalu, Josephine Henghali, and Gebhardt Nikanor, and Engelhardt Awaseb. Wildlife conflict resulting from livestock loss and crop damage is one of the greatest threats facing the survival of species such as cheetahs, lions, wildlife dogs and elephants throughout much of Africa today.

Just came back from Namibia. The Cheetah are shot and trapped like rats in northern Namibia. My PH told me to shoot one, and that he would only charge me if I missed! I told him that I wouldn't, but he said that he would shoot it anyway if I didn't. Everyone I ran into there felt the same way.
CITES had better wake up, if the landowners make some money from a trophy fee, the cat will be managed just like any other game animal....they are going to die either way.

Is the CCF the outfit that promises to pay the farmers for a live cheetah then never pays?
A dead Cheetah is worth $200 to a farmer. They shoot them and sell them for that amount.

A few years ago I heard Laurie Marker (Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund) speak at the Houston Zoological Society. Of course, she gave a talk about Cheetah conservation. I was impressed by what she had to say. And, she was supportive of controlled sport hunting of Cheetah as an aid to conservation. And she stated this to the audience which was mostly comprised of "greenie", urban anti-hunting types. I was amazed. She is also a member of the Namibian Professional Hunters Association Rare Species Committee.
( See: http://www.cheetah.org/fact_sheets/LAURIEfs.pdf )

-Bob F.



http://www.cheetah.org/


How Results Contribute to the Formulation of Public Policy:
In 1996 CCF organized and hosted a workshop called the 'Cheetah and Lion Population and Habitat Viability Analysis (PHVA)' in conjunction with IUCN's Conservation and Breeding Strategy Group (CBSG), Cat Specialist Group, Veterinary Specialist Group, the Species Survival Plan for Cheetahs of the American Zoo Association, and MET. The highest priorities for the cheetah that came out of this workshop included long-term management of cheetah and a nationwide census. Largely due to CCF's efforts a National Large Carnivore Management Forum was initiated by MET. The Forum consists of members from MET, NGO's, farmers, and veterinarians concerned with carnivore conservation. The group meets every eight weeks to discuss issues pertaining to carnivore conservation in Namibia. Issues dealt with in the last two years include: legislation on captive holding of cheetahs, legislation on trophy hunting of cheetahs, and planning and beginning a national census for the Namibian cheetah and other predator populations. CCF also received grants from WWF-US and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to support a workshop on census and survey techniques and analysis. A preliminary planning workshop was held in November 1998. CCF's research is also being used to help monitor the captive population, exports of cheetahs from Namibia, and whether the U.S. Endangered Species Act should down-list the cheetah from Endangered to Threatened, thus allowing for cheetah trophies to be imported into the US. CCF works closely with the professional hunting organizations on ethical hunting guidelines and habitat and prey base management issues.

In 2001, largely due to CCF's efforts, the first Global Cheetah Master Plan Workshop was held, bringing together over 53 delegates from 10 countries. Several of CCF's International Board members, Scientific Board members and collaborators attended. The goal was to honor and unite cheetah conservation work already carried out in the wild (in-situ) and in zoological institutions (ex-situ), and to develop a conservation action plan to link these initiatives, enhance collaboration, and provide for the long-term survival of cheetah in the wild.
For more see: http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=23


Laurie Marker
Audi Terra Nova Award Nominee - 1st Quarter, 2002.

Laurie Marker - A Race to Save the Cheetah from Extinction.

Education is key to her success, and in addition to running a visitor’s centre and education workshops at the CCF headquarters, she initiated many outreach programs to local communities. She persuaded farmers that cattle are not preferred food for cheetahs, and by keeping some indigenous species they could provide an alternative source of food for the cheetahs. She also condones controlled hunting, in that it provides an incentive for farmers to protect the cats. They can hardly provide an income from hunting if the farmers kill them all themselves. Meanwhile, Laurie put pressure on the Namibia Professional Hunter’s Association to enforce strict limits on the numbers of cheetahs shot. CCF researchers have developed many creative solutions, such as non-lethal predator controls, relocation and ecotourism. The holistic approach of the organisation emphasises the need to work with communal farmers as well as private land owners, as they believe that providing information and sustainable conservation practices is key to the long term survival of both people and animals. The CCF has attained considerable status both in Namibia and internationally. The new Visitor’s Centre was inaugurated by the President, Sam Nujoma
http://www.audi.co.za/news/archive.php?articleID=644

I just got back from Namibia and there were Cheetahs everywhere. They are a problem just like our wolves. The Cheetah foundation is a joke. We actually saw one in a live trap. The farmer called the Cheetah Foundation to come get it and they refused. All the farmers and PH's are pretty sure that if the Cheetah foundation would do their job and capture and reintroduce the cheetahs elsewhere, they would do so good, there wouldn't be a need for the Cheetah Foundation. Nothing like job security. I can only guess what happened to that VERY large male cheetah. It wasn't his first time being caught. Sad story, liberals keeping their jobs safe.

We got the same story in Namibia that Northway did. The PH did say that the Foundation drove their Mercedes to the farms and collected a few Cheetahs. They then "forgot" to pay for them. The farmers we talked to now just shoot them and sell in town for $200. The Foundation may be a good idea, but it isn't working very well.

Northway and TJ,

Well, that's a pity. I haven't been to Namibia so I have no first hand knowledge of the situation.

-Bob F.