Human/wildlife conflict in Botswana

In the article, the author, Linda Pfotenhauer states that there is an alarming, escalating human-wildlife conflict now taking place in many parts of Botswana.With the increasing populations and the accompanying encroachment of their settlements, cattle posts and farmlands on wildlife habitat, animals find themselves entrenched and in some cases electrocuted by fences meant to keep them out. Wildlife researchers working in northern and other areas of Botswana hold similar views about human-wildlife conflict in the country. These include the NGO, Elephants without Borders, and DWNP officers in Chobe. Elephants, followed by buffaloes have been most involved in the conflict especially within the Kasane/Kazungula development area. Elephants go into the townships at night and feed on the people's fruits and plants and end up being shot and killed by Kasane residents. A July 2010 DWNP report indicates that 23 elephants were killed within the first half of 2010 in defense of property or human lives. Other species killed were buffalo (21), lion (3), leopard (2), hippo (3), warthog (4) and baboon (3).