Twenty three conservancies in the Kunene region received funding from the German Government through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to mitigate the impact of conflict between wild animals and human settlements. This round of funding is done in collaboration with the Community Conservation Fund.
The money is earmarked for proactive measure to reduce the exposure of local communities to wildlife that exists in the vicinity of their villages.
The handover ceremony was witnessed by the Kunene Governor, Hon Marius Sheya, the Chair of the Kunene Regional Council, Hon Hendrick Gaobaeb, the German Ambassador, Dr Thorsten Hutter, the Director of Wildlife and National Parks, Bennett Kahuure, the Country Director of the KfW development bank, Beatrice Lucke, as well as members of the Community Conservation Fund and other conservation partners.
Communities in the Kunene are some of the most exposed settlements, often suffering losses from lions, elephants, leopards, hippos and crocodiles. This can be in the form of crop damage, infrastructure damage, loss of livestock and even loss of life.
Various methods have been developed over the years to protect the communities, their properties and their livestock. Some measures are based on direct protection while others employ deterrants to keep predators away. The protection of water points is also a focal area to make sure that neither the infrastructure nor the source is spoiled.
To recognize the outstanding work of the community Lion Rangers, four rangers received awards as a token of appreciation for their dedication to conservation.
The German Ambassador to Namibia, HE Dr Thorsten Hutter. (Photograph by Beatrice Lucke)Sesfontein Conservancy is one of 23 beneficiaries who received grants to help reduce conflict between wildlife and local communities. (Photograph by Beatrice Lucke)Photograph by the Community Conservation Fund.Photograph by the Community Conservation Fund.Four Lion Rangers were awarded for their outstanding work. (Photograph by the Community Conservation Fund)
