Mfuwe Snakebite Prevention Project: Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation and Community Sensitisation in Rural Zambia
Project Background: Mfuwe, located in Eastern Zambia, is an impoverished and rural area in the East of Zambia. Because of the suitable habitat of this region of Zambia, great diversity of highly venomous snake species occur and human-snake encounters are common. To reduce conflict between humans and snakes, the Mfuwe Snakebite Prevention Project works together with community members, wildlife conservationists and healthcare workers in the Mfuwe area to mitigate human-snake conflict and reduce the number of snakebites.
The Mfuwe Snakebite Prevention Project aims to implement the following:
- Sensitize the community about snake safety. As part of the sensitization, brochures, both in English and in the local language (Chewa) will be handed out and posters will be provided for public places.
- Train people (game rangers and selected people in the communities) in snake handling so they can remove snakes for others and form a safer alternative to killing snakes.
- Train health professionals in the area in snakebite treatment.
- Give first aid in snakebite training to anyone interested in the area, including staff at the various lodges.
Before and after the interventions, Project team members will conduct an assessment of the number of snake encounters, killed snakes, snakebites, casualties etc. By comparing the numbers before and after, they can assess the impact of the activities, can inform future interventions elsewhere in Zambia, as well as policy decisions. Sensitization to snakes is the key intervention in Zambia, where the costs for adequate snakebite treatment is beyond reach. In addition, less snakes will be killed when people know of other ways in which to co-exist with snakes.
