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Chiredzi farmers resort to fortified kraals to keep lions, hyenas away
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Annai Makuyana used to endure sleepless nights trying to protect her livestock from wild animals such as lions and hyenas until she was introduced to the concept of fortified kraals.
Makuyana (62) from rural Chiredzi in south-eastern Zimbabwe said she lost 15 head of cattle and over 21 goats between 2017 and 2020 before she moved away from traditional kraals to predator-proof enclosures to protect her livestock at night.
“Since 2017, I lost 13 of my cows and 21 goats,” she said.
“They used to attack even in the presence of the herders in the grazing areas and I am now left with only five cows and three goats because they were being attacked even inside their kraals.
“In 2020, two of my cows were killed on the same day when a pack of hyenas invaded my kraal and one of the cows was killed inside while the other got attacked just outside the kraal as it tried to escape from the wild animals.
“The sight and smell of the lions intimidates the livestock and causes a stampede that puts the entire herd at risk.”
Makuyana is one of many villagers around the Gonarezhou National Park – one of Zimbabwe’s largest game reserves – who are resorting to fortified kraals to save their livestock from worsening wildlife conflicts.
Conservationists are promoting the use of the fortified kraals to encourage the coexistence of livestock belonging to communal farmers in wildlife corridors and predator animals.
Most rural households in Zimbabwe rely on traditional kraals that merely contain livestock, but fortification of kraals in wildlife corridors such as those around the Gonarezhou game reserve has become necessary to ensure that livestock coexists with free-ranging carnivores.
Typical fortified kraals can be built from locally available materials such as thorn bush or stones.
The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT), an organisation running the state-owned Gonarezhou National Park, said in 2021 spotted hyenas were responsible for 41% of the livestock that was killed in areas bordering the game reserve as well as conservancy areas such as Malipati, Mapfuka and Jamanda.
It said lions and hyenas accounted for 12% and 14% of the livestock that was killed by predator animals while crocodiles, that often attack during the drinking period, killed 14% of the scale of 250 livestock per population.
GCT said given that wild animals such as lions and hyenas usually attack livestock at night while they were in makeshift traditional enclosures, they resolved to assist communal farmers in wildlife conflict hotspots to make their kraals predator proof.Elice Pheimani, the GCT human wildlife conflict coordinator, said the organisation in 2021 came up with a programme to identify the hotspots and they worked closely with the communities to plan where to put the fortified kraals and then monitor the results.
A number of kraals have since been upgraded to predator-proof status since the project began, resulting in cattle losses from kraals declining by 90% and incidences of livestock killings by lions being reduced for some villagers who have adopted the strategies.
Lexon Makondo, a headman in Mhlanguleni village, is one of the community leaders championing the GCT fortified kraals project and said it had produced significant results for his household.
“We were advised by the GCT to adopt and invest in predator-proof kraals made up of wooden poles,” Makondo said.
“I managed to save money and bought the poles for 10 rand each and with their supervision I managed to set up a kraal that does not leave any spacing in between for these wild animals to encroach.
“Since the construction of the kraal none of my cattle has been killed while inside the kraal.”He said the village has been recording an increase in cases of lions and hyenas that kill livestock, hence the need to invest in protective mechanisms such as fortified kraals.
“The problem of hyenas and lions has been escalating over the past years and these animals often target livestock in and outside the kraals at night or those that graze close to the national park boundary,” Makondo added.
“With these kraals what is even more unique about them is that the poles are closely set and we even use some wire to tighten the poles because hyenas usually take advantage of those traditional kraals that are set without being tightened to attack the livestock.”
The traditional leader said there was a huge uptake for the fortified kraals project as villagers accepted that it was the best way to survive the effects of wildlife conflicts.
“We now have a steady number of people who have taken up the idea and the reports of our livestock being eaten while inside the kraal have gone down by almost 90%, but there are some who still are reluctant to build the predator proof kraals,” Makondo said.
“Protecting cattle at night is just one part of the solution that needs to be adopted by every farmer in this area so that we deal with this problem.
“If cattle are more difficult to prey on in one area that used to be a conflict hotspot, the lions may just move on to another area where the kraals have not been upgraded.”
He called for more innovations to protect livestock during the day in order to eliminate human-wildlife conflicts.
“Additionally, if cattle are only protected at night and allowed to roam unattended during the day, then the predators will target cattle during the day and because lions behaviour, for instance, changes with the seasons, as their natural prey gets easier (dry season) or harder (wet season) to find, thus making cattle more or less attractive for lions at different times of the year,” he added.Pheimani said traditionally farmers allowed their livestock to graze within harvested fields during the mid-dry season to help them survive until the rainfall season and this provided a measure of protection from wild animals during the day.
He said there was still need for sustainable strategies to protect livestock throughout the year.
“We need to come with more strategies on how to counter this challenge and see how livestock can be protected even during these seasons,” Pheimani said.
“Our records prove that most of these animals, including donkeys, are attacked during the grazing period, so investing in predator proof kraals is not yet enough.”
Makondo said most crop farmers in his area were often busy during the cropping season, which meant that they left their livestock unattended and this made them even more vulnerable to attacks by wild animals.
“Kraals that are filled with cattle dung become muddy havens for disease in the wet season, so farmers prefer to let the animals roam outside for their health,” he said.
The government last year said it was introducing a human-wildlife conflict compensation fund, which among other things, will see communal farmers being paid for losses incurred through the killing of livestock by wild animals and destruction of crops.
Wildlife conflicts also claim the lives of people every year in Zimbabwe and the crisis continues to worsen as human settlements encroach into wildlife areas.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
In the small town of Bela-Bela, a quietly flourishing business is unfolding — one that turns wildlife into livelihood, education, and economic opportunity. On a humid afternoon, we walked into the operations of Estelle Nel Taxidermy (and its parent networks), where rows of beautiful animal mounts — from antelope horns to zebra skins, skulls to full-body trophies — line the walls.
But beyond the busts and custom mounts lies a deeper purpose: this is not simply a display of hunting trophies. It is a system of sustainable use — where animals that die naturally or are hunted legally are completely utilised: meat, skin, horns, bones — nothing goes to waste, and everything acquires value.
As we discovered from our conversations, this network extends beyond taxidermy. Adjacent to the showrooms are processing facilities, butcheries, and game-meat wholesalers — all integral to transforming South Africa’s wild fauna into a formal, regulated, and sustainable economy.
“This is home” — an artisan’s vocation
I sat down with Melanie Viljoen, who serves as Export Secretary at Estelle Nel Taxidermy. Her voice was calm, resolute.
“For me, it’s like this is home and it’s something that I love to do. I love art. I studied art at school. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
She told us she’s been with the business for thirteen to fourteen years. Over that time she’s mastered a unique craft. “I’ve found my niche,” she said, “and I’m not going anywhere.”
Melanie explained how the business flows: outfitters bring in international clients to hunt on private farms, then process the animals: trophy mounts for some, meat for others. Locals also bring animals — sometimes for trophies, sometimes just for meat. There is even “school-mount” work: smaller species, sometimes a mother and its young, carefully preserved — not just for hunters, but for children to touch and learn about wildlife up close.
“We mount animals that have died naturally or were hunted… we use everything, from the meat to the skins and curls. It’s a sustainable way of doing business, and everything has a monetary value.”
This, she says, is both business and passion — blending artistry, conservation, and commerce.
From workshops to global markets — taxidermy meets commerce
According to membership details o South African Taxidermy & Tannery Association, Estelle Nel Taxidermy offers a wide range of services: from mounting mammals, birds, reptiles; tanning skins and capes; cleaning, mounting and articulating skulls, bones, horns, tusks; to producing novelty leather items, polished horn décor, engraved bones, hoof lamps — even gunbags and furniture. They offer full export packing and crating services, and help clients ship internationally.
What this means is that skins, hides and trophies — once the culmination of a hunt — become far more than personal souvenirs. They become export commodities, contributing to livelihoods of artisans, packers, shippers, and everyone in between.
Yet, as Pieter Swart President of South African Taxidermy & Tannery Association (SATTA)/chairman of SUCO-SA) told us, that path to global markets is not without obstacles.
“Certain airlines allow the shipping of these trophies. I think it’s about four airlines that you can ship them overseas, but the rest refuse to take their hunting trophies to destinations. As well as the sea shipments — there’s only one ship going to America every three months. The rest of the shipping lines refuse to take hunting trophies.”
He lamented the difficulty in logistics. And yet, he sees themselves as part of a broader — and misunderstood — effort. “This anti-animal works movement created the idea that hunting is killing the animals and destroying them to extinction — but that is actually quite the opposite,” he said. “More and more, the guys are farming the animals; that is creating a better future for the animals.”
In other words: regulated, sustainable use — of every part of the animal — can coexist with conservation, economic empowerment, and community upliftment.
Next door to the taxidermy showroom, we toured a modest but hygienic meat-processing Camo Meat facility, run by people like Ina Hechter. They explained that their business started small — in 2012 as a private processing butcher for animals from farms. Around 2017 they expanded into wholesale for local markets. Export remains limited, but local demand is growing.
Their meats include species typical of the South African game-meat industry: kudu, impala, springbok, wildebeest, zebra and others. What began as a niche — somewhat stigmatised — trade is slowly gaining acceptance. Some supermarkets and lodges are carrying game meat; more restaurants are offering “veld flavour.”
Ina told me that in times of drought — when traditional livestock farming may suffer — game-meat businesses often see increased activity. Farms with overstocked wildlife or animals unable to survive drought may harvest and sell meat, skins and other resources. In this way, what might have been a loss can become income, conservation, and food security.
“Our parks are so small that they can’t sustain all the animals that are there,” Ina said. “Especially in drought years … when it’s not raining a lot you will see they die and then they sell the animals.”M
She sees game meat not only as a business, but as part of a broader sustainable economy — offering healthy, lean protein to consumers, easing pressure on overburdened habitats, and circulating value in rural and peri-urban communities.
More than meat and trophies — a conservation-economy model
What struck me during the tour was how holistic the operation is. It isn’t just about hunters bringing back trophies. It’s about using every bit of what exists: meat, skins, hides, horns, bones — even skulls, and decorative by-products. From full-body mounts to polished horn décor, from retail game-meat packages to furniture made from hoofs: this is a full-value chain.
Companies like Estelle Nel Taxidermy are members of formal trade associations and provide professional services — tanning, mounting, packing, export documentation — and in doing so, they help formalize trade in wildlife products.
Meanwhile, the game meat industry — though historically informal — is slowly growing more regulated. According to a recent national biodiversity-economy strategy, game-meat production supports economic growth, food security, and employment. The most commonly produced and consumed species: impala, kudu, wildebeest, springbok.
In other words: when properly managed, this sector has the potential to transform perceptions of wildlife — from being simply “wild animals” to resources that can feed, employ and uplift entire communities.
Challenges — logistics, stigma, regulation
But it’s not all smooth. As Pieter Swart highlighted, export logistics remain a bottleneck: only a few airlines transport trophies; shipping lines are often reluctant; sea freight to markets like the United States may come only every few months. This makes it harder for the industry to scale globally.
Domestically, the market for game meat and wildlife products still battles cultural and regulatory stigma. Many people still frown at game meat; supermarkets and restaurants are only slowly integrating it.
Regulation is another issue: for the industry to be sustainable, wildlife needs to be farmed or managed responsibly, harvesting must follow quotas, and processing must meet health and safety standards. When abattoirs, tanneries, and exporting agents comply with regulation, this gives the industry legitimacy — but it also requires oversight, capacity, and buy-in from all stakeholders.
Our visit painted a picture of a wildlife economy that’s evolving: where skilled artisans turn skins, horns, skulls into enduring art; where processors supply game meat to homes, restaurants and hotels; where farms, outfitters, taxidermists, meat processors, exporters, and even children (learning from mounted displays) all form part of an ecosystem.
It’s a world that challenges simplistic ideas of wildlife as either “pristine wilderness” or “endangered species.” Instead, it shows how — if managed with respect, regulation, and purpose — natural resources can sustain livelihoods, build economies, and forge a bridge between conservation and commerce.
For many of those involved — from Melanie Viljoen to Ina Hechter and Pieter Swart — it’s not just business. It’s home. It’s art. It’s the future.
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