Predation induced livestock loss adjacent to the Kruger National Park – monitoring the scale, scope and the impact of compensation

Human-wildlife conflict adjacent to and inside the Kruger National Park remains a risk to both conservation and human well-being. In 2014 the park began a compensation scheme for livestock loss. Monitoring to date has comprised of quantitative indicators yet there is still a lack of an understanding of the degree to which the compensation process has impacted on people, their expectations and their relationships with conservation. This study aims to evaluate how well the recently instituted (from 2014) Livestock Damage Compensation Scheme has been meeting the objectives of both KNP and livestock farmers. The research will involve both quantitative and qualitative assessments of claim forms submitted to the KNP, as well as interviews/focus groups with Compensation Committee members and affected livestock farmers. This will be the first evaluation of its kind in South Africa, and will contribute to meeting the strategic adaptive management objectives of the KNP under its new Draft Management Plan (specifically Objectives 8.10 – Human-wildlife conflict and 8:14 - Research, evaluation and co-learning).