Project Update: August 2005

Matenje Wildlife Management Committee.

From 10th -23rd July 2005, the project team visited seven villages around Kasungu Wildlife Reserve. During the visit, the team with favour from traditional leaders lobbied local communities and stakeholders in the seven villages to form wildlife management committees and clubs. I am, therefore, pleased to report that 7 wildlife management committees and 12 wildlife clubs (Fig 1 & 2) were successfully formed around the reserve. These will be responsible for training other local communities and school children on wildlife conservation but also patrolling, monitoring, confiscating illegal weapons and enforcing by-laws.

Members from these committees and clubs were also trained on fire fighting and monitoring techniques. The training focused on how they could monitor the outbreak and movement of fire. They were taught that the effective way of controlling fire is by constructing fire breaks (50 m wide) and planting hedges of non-deciduous plants around the reserve. Members were also encouraged to monitor, report and/or catch any suspect believed to set harmful bush fires so that he/she must be prosecuted accordingly. At the end, the members were happy for being elected and ensured the project team to fight against poaching, deforestation and setting of bush fires in the area.