Strategies Rural Communities Use to Deter Wildlife from Crops

Deep in the hearts of Kibale and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where the lush rainforests are dense, damp, and teeming with life, a delicate balance exists between humans and wildlife.

These protected areas are renowned for their role in conserving the world's critically endangered mountain gorilla population, as well as its rich biodiversity of plants and animals and abundant wildlife, but for the communities living in close proximity, the coexistence with wild animals can be challenging. Crop destruction, loss of domestic animals, and human attacks are common problems that have far-reaching consequences. Livelihoods are undermined, farmlands are sometimes abandoned, and lives are lost, leaving communities in a precarious situation, writes allAfrica's Melody Chironda.