Botswana’s wildlife losing ground as Kalahari Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are dezoned for livestock expansion

Abstract

Botswana is rightfully lauded for maintaining 42% of its land base for conservation, and ranking top in the world for effort to conserve megafauna. Yet during the recent preservationist political climate characterized by a hunting moratorium and deterioration of CBNRM, changes to the national land use map suggest Botswana is losing grip on its lofty status. While conservation attention is turned to elephants and KAZA, discussion about the official dezoning of 8,268 km2 of free-ranging wildlife estate in the Kalahari ecosystem has been notably absent. Using track-based methods we quantified wildlife populations inhabiting this relinquished wilderness now awaiting imminent conversion to fenced and private livestock holdings. We find that the affected areas contain approximately 3,900 free-ranging large herbivores and 50 large carnivores, all of which will become consumed, displaced or potential conflict animals. Erstwhile publicly-owned wildlife particularly important for local communities will effectively become de facto private property for an elite minority. The land use changes spell negative consequences for wildlife not only via mechanisms of habitat loss and edge effects but also reduced landscape connectivity between protected areas that limits seasonal movements and gene flow thus eroding long-term population resilience in a drought-prone environment. As Botswanas agricultural lobby continues to exert pressure on the Kalahari ecosystem, we suggest that ground surveys conducted by Kalahari trackers be implemented to inform decision-making rather than relying on the inadequate coarse-grained aerial survey record only.