By Morlu F. Freeman Sr.
LOFA COUNTY – The Forestry Development Authority (FDA), through its Conservation Department, has concluded a two-day training program aimed at strengthening the prevention and mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts in Lukambeh Administrative District, Kolahun Statutory District, Lofa County.
The training, held from July 3–4, brought together 45 farmers from the communities of Kailahun, Lukasu, Madina, and Maicca in Lower Lukasu Clan. Organized by the FDA’s Division of Wildlife, the program combined classroom instruction with practical demonstrations on farms and concluded with the distribution of starter kits to participants for use in protecting their farms.
Opening the workshop, Lukambeh Administrative District Commissioner Francis Dauda commended the FDA for responding to one of the major concerns raised by communities affected by wildlife incursions.
He noted that frequent crop destruction by forest elephants continues to threaten food security and called on the Government of Liberia and its partners to provide food assistance to affected communities while long-term solutions are pursued.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Kailahun Town Chief Blamah Kanneh thanked the FDA for what he described as a timely intervention and encouraged fellow farmers to apply the knowledge acquired to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. He also pledged the communities’ continued support for government efforts to protect Liberia’s threatened wildlife.
FDA Chief Park Warden for the Proposed Foya Protected Area, Bility M. Geninyan, announced that the authority will intensify community visits to strengthen early warning and wildlife reporting systems. He disclosed that similar training sessions will soon be conducted for farmers in Laah Clan, Porkpa District, Grand Cape Mount County, and Guyanta in Gbarpolu County.
According to the FDA, more than 1,500 farmers across northwestern and southeastern Liberia have been trained over the past three years on strategies to prevent and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, as part of efforts to safeguard livelihoods while promoting wildlife conservation.
