The strongeconomicstrong potential and utilisation of wildlife in Zimbabwe.PDFVIP

Rev. sci. tech. Off. int. Epiz., 1988, 7 (4) , 773-782 . The economic potential and utilisation of wildlife in Zimbabwe B.A. CHILD * Summary: Wildlife utilisation, based on safari hunting but with meat as a by- product, is the best economic use of some semi-arid rangelands; wildlife-based recreation is lucrative, and has the further advantage of raising income without intensifying grazing pressure in an easily degraded ecosystem, because income does not depend directly on how many animals are present. However, wildlife enterprises will only develop where landholders own their game, and where markets are simultaneously available. These conditions apply on privately-owned rangelands in Zimbabwe where, consequently, the industry has been expanding; this contrasts with a stagnating cattle sector. In some peasant areas wildlife has an even greater relative potential, but no advantage is taken of this because it is a common resource which, further, landholders have no experience of marketing. Wildlife will not fulfil its potential until these deficiencies are corrected by developing (1) marketing channels and (2) institutions that make landholders accountable and responsible for their use of wildlife. There are indications that such developments are indeed possible, and when they are introduced peasant