Solar Fences Reducing the Conflict between Humans and Wildlife

For many, the introduction of solar-powered electric fencing has relieved the anguish and hardships caused by massive crop loss from wild animals in Luangwa Valley. In years past, farmers wept bitterly, knowing they would suffer from hunger because of wild animals that strayed into their fields and destroyed crops. Sometimes these distraught people would kill animals, even elephants, in retaliation for the destruction to their crops. Regrettably, there were no effective measures put into place to reverse the situation until COMACO saw an opportunity and began erecting solar fences to protect both farmland and wild animals on a large scale.

In 2002, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) conducted surveys throughout most of the Luangwa Valley areas to determine the extent of the human-animal conflicts. Results showed the problem was serious and caused not only extensive loss to food security but exposed residents to risks of injury and sometimes death. These results sparked an initiative by WCS through its COMACO program and supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to establish solar-powered electric fencing to safeguard homes, granaries and farmland. Two week trainings were conducted for affected communities and for those willing to help in the erection of fences. In addition, COMACO approached the respective Community Resource Boards to help pay the salaries of local residents to maintain the fence and ensure its safety.

Yakobi, Mukasanga and Zokwe villages from both Chama and Lundazi Districts participated in this experiment. In all these areas there was high prevalence crop damage from wild animals, especially elephants. These initial fences demonstrated the potential of solar fences to greatly reduce the threat of crop damage but they also showed the potential for vandalism and misuse of wires by individuals in the communities. In some cases people vandalized the wire for snaring wildlife. This problem was especially serious in Mukasanga where COMACO removed the fence four times until the community accepted and fulfilled its obligations to maintain the fence and to pay for the local staff to manage the equipment and to replace equipment that needed replacement. All in all, 300 households benefited from these fences. The initiative has proven successful. Even Mukasanga has learned its role in accepting responsibilities for development by managing the fence. In 2007 they invested in additional equipment to accommodate more farmers and on a larger scale to achieve a more lasting solution for food security.

With the help of support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Japanese Embassy, COMACO has since expanded the solar fence enclosures to 8 other communities, supporting crop protection for over 1500 families. In 2003 the program conducted another study in Feira in Kavalamanja and Amora villages in Mpuka chiefdom to better understand the extent of crop damage in this region of Luangwa Valley. The studies showed that approximately 75% of the farmers lost a significant part of their crops as a result of wild animals. In the following year COMACO erected two more enclosures for these communities, supporting the protection of crops for another 300 families. Since then the program has expanded to 6 more villages in different locations in Luangwa Valley.

One newly fenced area is Chiendende village near Feira where elephants crossed through farm land to drink water from Luangwa River and caused extensive crop losses. Some people lost their entire crop and for many, farming was a pointless livelihood and others preferred to fish, which has led to problems of over-fishing. Others decided to farm on a steep hillside area where elephants did not venture but this in turn caused serious soil erosion. Again COMACO rose to occasion and helped co-finance an 8 km fence with the local Community Resource Board and the local safari operators. It has proven very successful and now accommodates 512 households and their farms of land suitable for farming.

Teddy Ngoma is one of the 512 farmers who has benefited from this program. Before COMACO erected the solar fence in Chiendende village, Teddy hardly harvested any crops from his field because elephants would destroy them before they were ready. Teddy had given up on farming despite facing a desperate situation of hunger. Today, COMACO has changed everything for Teddy and he now has new hope in farming.

“At least I have managed to harvest three oxcarts of maize this year from one lima (50 metre by 50 metre plot). I know I will have more than this in the next harvesting because my field is now well protected with the solar fence,” disclosed Teddy, beaming with happiness and a renewed willingness to cooperate with wildlife conservation in the area.

Once the solar fence is erected in a particular area, farmers inside the fence are encouraged to form committees governing the management of the fence and to formulate by-laws to safeguard wildlife around the fence. In some cases, people who break these by-laws are asked to leave the area so committed farmers are not put at risk by people who wish to cheat the community. All members pledge their commitment to look after the fence, use conservation farming practices and to be vigilante against anyone who may tamper with the solar equipment or vandalize the wires. Today, through COMACO’s work with solar-powered electric fencing, people and wildlife can coexist. This technology is helping people secure their livelihoods from farming while gaining added economic incentives from sharing their lands with wildlife through the revenues they earn from tourism fees provided by the Zambia Wildlife Authority. The road to conservation is a long one but COMACO is helping lead the way.