‘Cheetahs and farmers can live in harmony

IF farmers are trained how to live with predators such as cheetahs, the two will be able to live together in harmony.

This is the view of the head of the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank), Leonard Iipumbu, who is an emerging commercial farmer himself. “They (cheetahs) have to live too and they will not really trouble you if you are trained how to live with them.We need to strike a balance on how to live with them in harmony,” said Iipumbu.Over 90 per cent of Namibia’s cheetahs occur on farmland in the north-central part of the country.Sharing this habitat are cattle, small stock, game and the farmers depending on these animals systems for their livelihood.Recently, Agribank and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) – located 44 km outside Otjiwarongo – joined forces to fulfil a critical need of emerging commercial farmers.On Friday, Iipumbu addressed about 30 emerging commercial farmers who attended a workshop on financial management.The workshop was funded by Agribank and presented by CCF.CCF Director Dr Laurie Marker said because the majority of Namibia’s cheetahs occur on farmland, this places the survival of the country’s cheetahs literally in the farmers’ hands.However, she said, cheetah conservation was about much more than a cheetah.”It is about biodiversity conservation and ensuring that the life-support systems are maintained and about supporting people living with cheetah and other carnivores so that their livelihoods are enhanced, not threatened,” said Marker.She said to assure a healthy and sustainable ecosystem, farmers need to make sure that they farm in harmony with nature.”This means applying best farming practices and wildlife management practices,” she added.So far, the CCF partnership with Agribank has provided training to over 50 Namibian emerging commercial farmers.The Financial Farm Management training course was the latest addition to the CCF’s development programme, complementing its Integrated Predator Management and Practical Farming training courses.A not-for-profit organisation, the CCF was founded in 1990.Its mission is to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their ecosystems.”They (cheetahs) have to live too and they will not really trouble you if you are trained how to live with them.We need to strike a balance on how to live with them in harmony,” said Iipumbu.Over 90 per cent of Namibia’s cheetahs occur on farmland in the north-central part of the country.Sharing this habitat are cattle, small stock, game and the farmers depending on these animals systems for their livelihood.Recently, Agribank and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) – located 44 km outside Otjiwarongo – joined forces to fulfil a critical need of emerging commercial farmers.On Friday, Iipumbu addressed about 30 emerging commercial farmers who attended a workshop on financial management.The workshop was funded by Agribank and presented by CCF.CCF Director Dr Laurie Marker said because the majority of Namibia’s cheetahs occur on farmland, this places the survival of the country’s cheetahs literally in the farmers’ hands.However, she said, cheetah conservation was about much more than a cheetah.”It is about biodiversity conservation and ensuring that the life-support systems are maintained and about supporting people living with cheetah and other carnivores so that their livelihoods are enhanced, not threatened,” said Marker.She said to assure a healthy and sustainable ecosystem, farmers need to make sure that they farm in harmony with nature.”This means applying best farming practices and wildlife management practices,” she added.So far, the CCF partnership with Agribank has provided training to over 50 Namibian emerging commercial farmers.The Financial Farm Management training course was the latest addition to the CCF’s development programme, complementing its Integrated Predator Management and Practical Farming training courses.A not-for-profit organisation, the CCF was founded in 1990.Its mission is to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their ecosystems.