Abstract
This study aimed at examining local people’s knowledge and perceptions of wildlife conservation in southeastern Zimbabwe. Data were collected between October and November in 2012 using a purposive sampling approach of households (n = 114) in communities adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park. Our results show that local people were aware of the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) and Gonarezhou, and their associated purposes. However, our results suggest that local people had inadequate knowledge about the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) and its purpose. Moreover, mixed perceptions about the impact of the GLTFCA on local livelihoods and conservation in the study area were recorded. Finally, the results indicated that improving park-community relationships, education and awareness programmes on natural resources conservation could assist in raising the status of conservation in Gonarezhou and GLTFCA.
Highlights
Local ecological knowledge and its role in wildlife conservation are increasingly receiving much attention [1]-[3]
This knowledge is derived from the long-standing relationships between local people and their immediate environment resulting in local people having good understanding about natural resources conservation through resource use, education and conservation awareness programmes [6] [7]
A high proportion of respondents largely showed that they had good knowledge about the CAMPFIRE programme within their communities, Gonarezhou and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA)
Summary
Local ecological knowledge and its role in wildlife conservation are increasingly receiving much attention [1]-[3]. Local ecological knowledge is valuable in areas where human communities live inside and around protected areas [4] [5]. This knowledge is derived from the long-standing relationships between local people and their immediate environment resulting in local people having good understanding about natural resources conservation through resource use, education and conservation awareness programmes [6] [7]. Understanding and acknowledging residents’ knowledge and perceptions about wildlife conservation is an important part of a process of engaging with local communities and building constructive relationships between residents and protected area management [15]
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