African Parks to fence Liwonde National Park
In an attempt to eliminate human-wildlife conflicts currently impacting communities surrounding Liwonde National Park and prevent individuals from illegally entering the facility to poach, African Parks has embarked on a project to fence the park.
According to Liwonde National Park Manager, Craig Reid, communities surrounding national parks are often poorly educated with few livelihood opportunities.
“The human-wildlife conflict around Liwonde National Park is almost unprecedented. While these clashes can occur whenever people and wildlife share the same landscape or are in close proximity to one another, there are certain measures that can be taken to keep both people and wildlife safe.
“We are confident that the fencing of Liwonde National Park will, at the very least, substantially reduce conflict situations, and prevent tragic incidents from occurring in the future,” explained Reid.
One of the villagers near the park, Andrew Daudi, said the fence will play a crucial role in protecting their homes as sometimes elephants go out of the park into their compounds.
“The fencing of this park will really protect us from the wild animals. Sometimes they come to our farms and they destroy our crops, but now they won’t be able to pass through the electric wire,” said Daudi.
The project, which will cost US$1.6 million, is expected to take 18 months to complete.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
