Human Wildlife Conflict - what to do?

Hi there blog readers,

In Namibia, there are 2.1 million people (and that is counting pregnant women) and quadruple (if not more) that number of wildlife (excluding insects, fish, and birds).  What do we do, when the two clash?  Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is a serious topic for which, I fear there is not one solution that pleases all who are affected.

Namibia has a Game Products Trust Fund where any revenues earned from wildlife are stored in trust to pay for research, refund citizens for some of their losses due to wildlife clashes and maintains the areas where the wildlife live.  And this is a good thing; though local people are complaining that the compensation schedule is insufficient.  There are moves to upgrade things.  Let's see how that goes in the end. Proposed laws can take YEARS to move along and people are getting hurt now.

Protecting wildlife environments, keeping data and statistics, and educating people about living with wildlife is expensive and now that Namibia is in a terrible recession, the budget cuts hit hardest in areas like the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and most that are allocated has to go into staff salaries, the maintenance of the national parks and the anti-poaching efforts.

Anyway... the debate in on about how much should be paid for a human being killed by wildlife, or a goat or crops eaten or houses destroyed?  It is hard and I am not sure about 'the' right answer (if there is one.)

Question - where is the incentive for local people affected by HWC to get smarter about wildlife-proof fencing and changing old and inefficient traditional ways of maintaining livestock in wildlife areas, when compensation for wildlife eaten by predators is worth more than the animals' replacements costs?  There will always be 'cheats' to the system and those who lose animals to drought or normal mishap who will attempt to 'file for' the compensation.  What about someone falling asleep under a tree, drunk, in areas where lions are known to roam vs someone taken by a crocodile while fishing in a swollen river in the Zambezi region?  Or someone who is careless about allowing their animals to find grazing unattended and then claiming compensation because one 'goes missing?'  The administration is not our strong suit here in Namibia.  Scams are easily perpetrated, particularly if there are under-the-table kick-backs on offer. (and sooner, not later...they will be.)  There is a major recession here and people are struggling to make it right now.

Where is the effort from the farmers to at least TRY to protect what they have? I'd like to see more state funds used for training, providing weapons for protection of human lives, serious fencing, herd guard dogs, red pepper concoctions to ward off elephants, thorny bushes to cage in cattle, wood and supplies for all-night bonfires, wage supplements for farmworkers in heavy predator areas and other techniques that are proven to work to varying degrees?  On the other hand, if someone loses an entire herd of goats, they may well be in poverty, destitution, and starvation in weeks due to such a loss.  Some compensation is needed.  What is fair?

Too many people in countries that do not live with elephants talk too loudly about saving all elephants at all costs.  The people here believe that many in this world value an elephant or rhino or hippo or lion more than they value the life of a black farmer or innocent African child who wants to play outside in safety.

Check out:  www.newera.com.na/2017/11/29, for some current information.  Google Human/Wildlife Conflict, Namibia for more articles to follow this problem.  Feel free to send me any thoughts you might have on the matter.

Come to Namibia and see how beautiful it is here.  The exchange rate from hard currency countries is GREAT! Now is the time to plan your 2018 visit - tourism is doing well right now so the best locations are booking up fast!

Check out the Gondwana Chain of lodges which are superb and well run or Ongava that is a bit more upscale in cost, but worth every penny!  These photos are from Ongava's website!  Their place is wonderful!

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's holidays!

Pangolins are also being poached!

Hi blog readers!

Quite correctly, the world has focused on rhino horns and elephant tusks as the rallying point for the battle against poachers in Africa.  But, quietly, the weird-looking pangolin sometimes called 'spiny anteater', is being shipped-out live and killed on-site for its hard scaly (keratin, like our fingernails) skin covering.  It seems that few are screaming loud enough about this to be heard.  The pangolin is the world’s most trafficked mammal. An estimated 100,000 of these shy creatures are removed from the wild each year.

When on safari in the national parks here in Namibia, I've only seen a live pangolin once.  They remind me of the armadillos in the Southwest USA.  They roll up in a ball when they are threatened, allowing their hard outer shells to protect their soft inner parts.  It's like a hedgehog in this.

The common pangolin weighs 30 to 40 lb. and is about 12 to 39 in. long depending on the species.  These shy guys live about 20 years (if left alone by humans!) and they live in a dense forest to forested savannas.  In Namibia, they are in Etosha national park, but mostly they seem to be in the former Caprivi region (now called the Zambezi) in the more forested parks there, rather than in the dunes and more arid South of the country.  

They eat ants, termites, beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, etc..  The pangolin uses its keen sense of smell to locate termite and ant nests. It digs the insects from mounds using its claws and eats them with its extremely long and sticky tongue (which can be up to 16 inches). 

Pangolins are in the natural circle of life and are in turn eaten by leopards and hyenas. 

Pangolins are pregnant for about five months.  They typically only give birth to a single little one at a time. When born, the baby weighs as much as a pound (16 ounces or less depending on the species). The little ones have soft scales that harden fairly rapidly and are usually weaned at around three months of age.

Increasingly, the scaly mammal is hunted for its meat and scales which are in high demand in some Asian countries. Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy while its scales are used in traditional medicine.  

In September 2016, all commercial trade in pangolin was banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  The third Saturday in February is World Pangolin Day.

Check out www.awf.org and www.pangolins.org for more info.
Plan your trip to Namibia for a great holiday and tell them Jackie sent you!

Strange little owl - can you see it?

Hi blog readers!

My hubby told me that in many African cultures, the owl is seen as a harbinger of negative things.  Of course, being raised in the urban America, the owl is seen as wise and knowledgeable. 

In the wild, here in Namibia, owls can range in sizes from as small as my size 9 1/2 shoe (toe to heel) to as long as my Labrador (wing span) with talons and beaks that make you feel like perhaps you are not at the top of the food chain afterall.  Shudder-shudder....

But, they do eat the nasty snakes, yucky grasshoppers, cute field mice, and sometimes other smaller animals like frogs, rock dossies, etc...

Check out this little guy.

He looks how I feel when I have to get up too early in the morning. I just want to blend in and be left alone.

Come for a holiday in Namibia.  Enjoy yourself safely.

Lodges in Namibia are fantastic! Visit us and see for yourself!

There is something to be said about sleeping in a lodge with a thatched roof and where you can hear the sounds of the African night and let evening honks and roars lull you to sleep.  I love tented lodges with wide open walls and huge windows.

Of course, for me to fall asleep in that much open space, I need to have that lodge up on stilts and behind a perimeter fence with screens in place to keep the buggies out (my bed must be under nets too.)  But, it is quite safe really and what an adventure!  Imagine being with the one you love in a bed like that under a clear Namibian starry night.  Sigh....  Of course being in that same bed with your BFF giggling and laughing and remembering fun times as you talk all night and catch up on each other's lives is also a blast.

Let me burst your bubble a bit though...when a lion roars and that deep, unearthly coughing sound shakes the walls of your comfortable bungalow, you may rethink this wide open deluxe sleeping model for a second or two, but that is the thrill of the African safari isn't it?

It ain't no Simba and Lion King cast singing Hacuna Matata; it is the real deal in Etosha National Park in Namibia and other private game reserves where hundreds of Simbas live.  And it is fantastic! You will love it.

As a middle ager with grown kids, I am no longer into camping in tents, using sleeping bags, going 'au naturel' with bodily needs and 'roughing' it, though I can and will do that if the situation calls for it for a night or two.  I like a comfortable bed, warm blankets and hot water when I shower.  And I love the idea of watching the sunrise from my huge, warm bed.

I don't need Master Chef level food, but I need something that isn't poured out of a can. The lodges in Namibia have good eating.  The game meat is particularly tastey and local traditional food needs to at least be sampled.

Game lodges in great locations in Namibia have a range of prices N$800 or so per person, per night (pp/pn)with dinner, bed and breakfast included up to five star lodges that can run $3000 per person, per night.  Needless to say, the higher the price, the more the benefits, services and luxuries.  You have to choose what you can afford and what level of comfort you (and your aching knees) want.

I enjoy the unique designs and styling in Namibia's lodges.  I have visited quite a few lodges and resorts and can confirm that the photos aren't just those marketing, photo-shopped things, they really do look like that when you first walk into the room. and what a WOW! factor that is.

Google lodges in Namibia and get more photos that you can choose from when you decide to come visit us.  I can tell you that the Gondwana Chain, Namibia Wildlife Resorts and (if you want the more 5 star level service and 'stuff') Ongava and any of the Wilderness Safaris properties and Wolvedans are absolutely great.

Check out the communal conservancies with lodges too!  You can get a great accommodation and tourism experience (game drives, activities, etc...) AND help local people who are members of the conservancies earn a living from their traditional lands. Check out my all time favourite the Grootberg Lodge in the //Khoadi Hoas conservancy (those // punctuation marks means that is from the 'click' languages.)

Come see for yourself and enjoy the great lodges in Namibia.  Our wildlife and fantastic foods, cultural dress, songs and dances will give you a holiday here a trip of a lifetime!

Africa makes a great travel destination - check us out!

Hi there,

I came across some old, but useful stats on travel to Africa that may be useful as you decide to travel here.The article also had a GREAT photo of a lion being viewed by tourists in a safari vehicle that I thought was spot on.  In my journeys around Namibia, I have viewed this kind of scene countless times and it NEVER gets old!

Why millions chose Africa as their safari destination

 More than 30 million tourists visit Africa every year. Over half of the international arrivals are for business purposes, and may partake in tourist activities as well, while 15% travel for pure tourism and 30% visit friends and family.

Tourists select the continent as a destination for wildlife viewing and to enjoy the sunny skies. Africa is the world’s number one destination for safaris which range from the exotic to the very simple.

The tourism industry is one of the most important for the continent: it provided 12.8 million people with jobs, directly and indirectly, in 2011. Tourism in 2012 contributed over US$36 billion or 2.8% of the continent’s GDP.

theconversation.com

Tourism rising in Namibia - now is the time for your visit

Hello to any of my remaining readers!



I took a two year break from blogging, but now I am trying to get back into it.  

I am now one of the editors of a weekly newspaper called the Windhoek Observer and that kept me busy during my blog haitus! (www.observer.com.na).  

The exchange rate is low right now, 1 US Dollar = 12.99 South African Rand, making your trip here a bit less expensive if you are coming from a hard currency country.  Book your travel now, as our peak season (roughly July - November) is usually fully booked at the best sites around the country. My friends in the industry are reporting that they are quickly filling up with pre-bookings!  

These days, lots of airlines are flying into Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia.  Check Air Namibia first to support the country's economy, but you can also price shop for your ticket with British Air, South African Airways, KLM, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.  A trip here is glorious!

Check out an article I just did for World Wildlife Day which was March 3rd. 
www.observer.com.na/index.php/national/7732-
wildlife-thriving-in-namibia-on-world-wildlife-day-and-beyond.  Hugs and thanks to
my friend Chris Weaver, the director of WWF in Namibia for giving me an interview.



Here is the first paragraph of that piece:

"World Wildlife Day is celebrated on March 3, 2017.  Nowhere should there be more recognition of this day and its importance than here in Namibia, home of one of the greatest wildlife success stories ever told. With 18% of Namibia’s land under environmental protection, 82 communal conservancies formed to protect the flora and fauna of the land where they live and 1.4 million tourists arriving each year (most of whom visit National Parks), World Wildlife Day in Namibia has a special significance."



Enjoy these photos provided by my friends at ONGAVA GAME RESERVE!  Their place is beautiful and eco friendly.  My friend Rob Moffett is the manager and those of you planning a trip to Namibia, need to check them out!  Their facilities are right next door to the Etosha National Park!  You can hear the lions roar in the early morning and it can really make your entire bungalow tremble! www.ongava.com.

Until next blog!  Bye from Jackie!
jw.asheeke@gmail.com