IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Purchase, G.; Mateke, C.; Purchase, D. | |
| A review of the status and distribution of carnivores, and levels of human-carnivore conflict, in the protected areas and surrounds of the Zambezi Basin | |
| 2007 Full Book | |
Carnivores represent an important component of global biodiversity, the Order Carnivora being made up of a diversity of species that vary in all aspects of their biology. Conversely in many parts of the world, they also represent a threat to human survival and can have significant adverse effects on human livelihoods through depredation of livestock. The conservation of carnivores is therefore, both an important undertaking, and also one with many challenges. Conservation of carnivores in Africa is important as many species occur here and nowhere else. Effective conservation relies on accurate and recent data regarding status and distribution, as well as an understanding of the impacts of carnivore population on human populations, both positive and negative. Carnivores are argued to be keystone species, as the presence of a viable population suggests a large amount of biodiversity, given that they are at the top of the food chain. Many carnivore species are among the charismatic group of animals that attract tourists and sustain an important economy in many African countries However, there is a concern over the paucity of data for much of the African continent regarding the status and distribution of carnivore species, and their impact on the human communities with whom they co-exist. A number of conservation workshops for various carnivore species in Africa have indicated that the highest priority for conservation and management is surveys in the numerous areas where little or no data exists. The Zambezi River Basin is a large ecologically distinct area within Africa, where a number of carnivore species are known to have historically existed. The Basin has an impressive network of protected areas, and other areas suitable for wildlife management. There is a history of transboundary, regional conservation management in this area, with three Transfrontier Conservation Areas declared in the last 5 years. All these factors make this region potentially important for carnivore conservation but there is still a lack of information regarding priorities for conservation. This review determined the current state of knowledge regarding the status, distribution and conflict with humans of all carnivore species known to have occurred historically within the Zambezi Basin. The review was carried out to start the process of determining what conservation priorities there are for this ecological region, to assist governments and other management institutions to more effectively conserve the overall biodiversity of the Basin. The review found that there were large areas within the protected area network where there was either no recent data, or limited data regarding the status, distribution and conflict with humans of carnivore species. There is an urgent need for these areas to be surveyed as the review found that there is likely to be important populations of carnivores present, when extrapolating from available data. Given the information that was available, three key areas for management were identified on the basis of overall species diversity for the Basin as a whole. The Hwange-Chobe-Caprivi- Luiana-Liuwa Plains complex of protected areas was found to be the area with the most potential for conservation of carnivores at present, based on recorded species diversity, connectivity and human-carnivore conflict mitigation. The Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools complex was also found to be relatively diverse, but human-carnivore conflict in this area is of concern and more work needs to be carried out. South Luangwa, and the Luangwa complex was found to be important due to the present of two rare species of carnivores, and overall species diversity, and Liwonde National Park in Malawi is a key area for management being the only protected area where the African Palm Civet was recorded. |
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