Hard Truths of Conservation (2022) s01e02 Episode Script
Episode 2
1
- [Dan] The Zambeze
Delta is a unique area
where the Zambeze
River meets the sea.
There are a variety of habitats
from forests to open floodplain,
historically supporting
an abundance of wildlife.
(film reel clicking)
The Civil War decimated
these wildlife habitats
leaving communities behind
with few means of survival.
They turned to poaching
to feed their families,
but unregulated, this
put further pressure
on wildlife populations,
(gun shot firing)
threatening their
existence entirely.
How might the
hunting model provide
a viable alternative
for local communities?
(dramatic tribal music)
Hunting has become a
controversial practice
in modern times.
My name is Dan Cabela and
I’m traveling the globe
to explore the true impact
that hunting is having on
our remaining wild landscapes.
This practice goes as far back
as human history can remember
but does it have a place
in modern conservation?
(soft music)
(birds chirping)
Coutada 11 is a hunting
concession in Mozambique,
situated in the Zambeze
Delta ecosystem.
I’ve spent a lot of time
this vast ecosystem,
and come to know Mark Haldane
and his operation very well.
When they took over management
of Coutada 11 in the early 90s,
there was almost
no wildlife left.
I’m heading back to Mozambique
to explore what factors have
lead to that success story.
Today, the area has
been restored to its
historic abundance.
(birds chirping)
This turnaround is
an ongoing process,
but it has taken the
better part of 30 years.
(warthog grunting)
Firstly, animal poaching
needed to be dealt with.
Snares needed to be removed,
and poachers needed
to be dealt with.
A sustainable number
animals are allowed to be
routinely harvested each year,
and that quota is
determined scientifically,
and a strict off-take
quota is maintained
for both clients
and the community.
These hunting tags are sold
for large sums of money,
primarily to
international hunters,
and bring revenue
to the concessions,
but there are also
community quotas out there
preserving traditional
rights to the land
and providing meat
for the people.
The largest meat-bearing animal
in the area is the buffalo,
and I head with Mark
to harvest a buffalo
for the community quota.
(helicopter blades whirring)
- [Mark] The first time
I visited here was in ’94
and I fell in love
with the area.
At that time, there about
were a total of 1,200 buffalo
in the whole of the complex,
so it was pretty dismal,
you know?
Today, the Delta is sitting
with 25,000 buffalo.
(helicopter whirring)
(buffalo grunting)
A couple of years ago,
we campaigned government
to give us a community quota,
and that quota is not
a quota that allows
the local community to
go out there and hunt.
It actually allows us
to harvest those animals
for the community and deliver
them to the community.
(calming music)
- [Dan] The buffalo
live deep in the swamps,
so we climb into an old terrain
and we head out into the Delta.
- [Mark] So then
today, as you know,
we’re after the
community buffalo.
Our community gets three tags
from government every year
and specifically for their
own use the entire animal.
So what we are looking for
is a non-trophy animal,
an old bull.
But this is the wettest
year we’ve had since 1994.
So we gonna be in this
from here to the islands.
So you’ll have to be strong.
The only good thing is Ryan,
if he is kind, will
come fetch us there,
won’t make us walk
back again afterwards.
- There’s just a little
island at the top here
where a lot of the old single
Dabwe like to hang out.
You can see the trees
cut in the distance here,
probably about 300 yards to go,
so hopefully it’s
been worth the slog.
(hogs grunting)
Furthest to the left.
(calming music)
(gunshot)
- [Dan] One of the
most important aspects
of taking the life
of an animal, to me,
is the honest sense of
community and connection
that comes from
sharing sustenance
with friends and family
family and those in need.
- [Mark] So what
we are looking for
is a non-trophy
animal, an old bull.
- [Dan] The trackers
expertly quarter the bull
to transport the fresh carcass
for distribution to the
community on the same day.
Nothing goes to waste
in a well-functioning ecosystem.
Vultures pick off the remains,
acting as nature’s
garbage disposal service.
30 tons of meat are distributed
to the community each season.
Traditionally, the Tozo
community would hunt
using Spears or snares to
harvest animals to eat.
But a snare is an
indiscriminate killer
and will eliminate whatever
finds itself entangled,
whereas the legal
quota for hunting
set by the Mozambican government
specifies that old males
past their breeding prime
can be harvested in
sustainable numbers.
- [Mark] With this
community quota,
I think the important thing
is our local community
are actually very happy that
we do the hunting for them.
It’s not like they are hunters
that want to get out there
and experience the
thrill of the chase.
They’re more practical.
They do it purely for meat.
We’ve never had a single person
show anything but
gratitude for it.
This is the community spot here
where we deliver the meat.
- [Dan] In order for
conservation to work,
we have to partner
with the community.
So it’s critical to have
that strong relationship.
I’m eager to see how
this whole process works
and how the meat is distributed.
It’s very fulfilling
to play a part in this.
(Knife blades scratching)
- Kaz Antonio is the headman
of this village over here.
So as the headman, he’s
signing to say that
he’s received one
buffalo for his village.
We do it in a formal manner
so that everyone knows
we have a record of who’s
received meat when and where,
and then he will be in charge
of dividing amongst everyone.
(men chatting)
Bush meat trade and bush
meat is as old as time.
Bush meat was a huge part
of the people’s diet.
So by us doing these meat crops,
we are fulfilling what
they’ve done for centuries.
It takes away the need for them
to go and poach,
it’s sustainable.
We’re taking out
a select portion
of the population of wildlife.
The Safari op will benefit,
the wildlife will benefit
and the community will benefit.
(woman speaking
foreign language)
- So, Dan, I think the
meat drop is probably
the most basic part of
our community projects
and over the next
couple of days,
if you’ve got a bit of time,
I’d really like to show
you the rest of them.
- I’d love to see that
- Great.
(clapping)
(background chatter)
- Apart from the
meat distributed to
the local community,
Zambeze Delta Safaris
has also taken on
a number of community projects
to enable the population.
(rooster crowing)
- Okay. So Dan, this is Zach.
Zach is our community
liaison officer.
He heads up all of our
community programs.
The farming, the
beekeeping, the maize mill,
the school, the clinic, he’s
our liaison between community.
Does a darn good job.
Let’s go and have a look
at some of the bees.
- We’ve had some of the
honey, it’s quite good.
- It is good, isn’t it?
About as organic as
you can find anywhere.
So Dan, there you have it.
This is what we call an
African Top Bar hive.
Your brood is in the center
and the honey you harvest
is on the outside.
And we use a combination of
African Top Bar hives like this
and the more modern Langstroth
hives with the frames.
- Zambeze Delta Safaris
has also taken on
a number of community projects
to enable the population.
So Dan, there you have it.
This is what we call an
African Top Bar hive.
- Can you tell us
how it’s beneficial
to the community to
have this this program?
- We give the community a
guaranteed market for the honey.
So basically, every
year when we harvest,
we’ll send the team
around, headed up by Zach,
they’ll harvest the honey.
Each guy’s honey gets
weighed that evening
and is paid out for it.
- How many hives total
do you have here?
- We have a little bit
over 400 at this stage.
Working towards 1000.
What you see here is the
Zambeze Delta community farm.
What you see behind
us here is all rice.
They got a phenomenal
crop last year.
The local farmers here do
all the farming themselves,
except we do the
plowing for them.
Slash-and-burn has
historically been
how the folks in this
region produce their food.
It’s pretty hard
on the environment.
They’ll take a mature
piece of forest,
very often with huge big trees,
way over a 100 years old,
and in October, when we get
our really hot temperatures
and the north wind,
they’ll burn it.
And it kills everything.
Those big 100 year old trees
are killed from the
heat of the fire.
So you’re taking a forest
that might have taken
100 years, 200 years to develop,
you’re burning it down and
planting one crop there only.
It’s unsustainable and
we can’t support that.
And hence the importance of
a farming project like this.
- So by bringing the tractor in,
you’re essentially taking
the pressure off the forest?
- That’s exactly it.
- The concession have also shown
that Delta has an
additional tool
to aid in their harvesting.
- So Dan, this is the
community maize mill.
They use it to mill
a bit of everything.
They mill cassava with it, corn
and they make a flour
or a meal out of it
which all forms part of
the staple of their diet.
The crops are
farmed predominantly
by the women in the villages.
So Dan, this is the rice from
our community farming project
and Zach’s one of the
participating farmers as well.
And he harvested in excess
of 60 bags that this year.
- With a crop of rice like this,
the fishing project
and the meat,
I can assure you no-one
goes to bed hungry
in this concession.
- [Dan] As wildlife
populations recover,
poaching also
increased in the area,
and the need grew for
more organized protection.
- [Mark] Now we run, you know,
a pretty large
anti-poaching unit
which is highly successful.
(calming music)
- [Dan] As wildlife
populations recover,
poaching also
increased in the area,
and the need grew for
more organized protection.
Traditionally,
the Tozo community
would hunt using
spears and snares.
- [Mark] We run a pretty
large anti-poaching unit
which is highly successful.
(calming music)
(calming music)
- [Dan] The community needs
to benefit from the operation
and share in the value
that wildlife can create
for this to be sustainable.
After seeing how this
whole operation functions,
I’m left with the
feeling that this model
can be sustained for
generations to come.
Before I head out,
Chief Thozo has
asked if I would like
to join him and his
family to share a meal,
and I am humbled by the offer.
- That sounds great.
This model can be replicated
anywhere where the
primary land use is
hunting across Africa,
while creating incentives
to keep wildlife on the land.
- [Dan] The Zambeze
Delta is a unique area
where the Zambeze
River meets the sea.
There are a variety of habitats
from forests to open floodplain,
historically supporting
an abundance of wildlife.
(film reel clicking)
The Civil War decimated
these wildlife habitats
leaving communities behind
with few means of survival.
They turned to poaching
to feed their families,
but unregulated, this
put further pressure
on wildlife populations,
(gun shot firing)
threatening their
existence entirely.
How might the
hunting model provide
a viable alternative
for local communities?
(dramatic tribal music)
Hunting has become a
controversial practice
in modern times.
My name is Dan Cabela and
I’m traveling the globe
to explore the true impact
that hunting is having on
our remaining wild landscapes.
This practice goes as far back
as human history can remember
but does it have a place
in modern conservation?
(soft music)
(birds chirping)
Coutada 11 is a hunting
concession in Mozambique,
situated in the Zambeze
Delta ecosystem.
I’ve spent a lot of time
this vast ecosystem,
and come to know Mark Haldane
and his operation very well.
When they took over management
of Coutada 11 in the early 90s,
there was almost
no wildlife left.
I’m heading back to Mozambique
to explore what factors have
lead to that success story.
Today, the area has
been restored to its
historic abundance.
(birds chirping)
This turnaround is
an ongoing process,
but it has taken the
better part of 30 years.
(warthog grunting)
Firstly, animal poaching
needed to be dealt with.
Snares needed to be removed,
and poachers needed
to be dealt with.
A sustainable number
animals are allowed to be
routinely harvested each year,
and that quota is
determined scientifically,
and a strict off-take
quota is maintained
for both clients
and the community.
These hunting tags are sold
for large sums of money,
primarily to
international hunters,
and bring revenue
to the concessions,
but there are also
community quotas out there
preserving traditional
rights to the land
and providing meat
for the people.
The largest meat-bearing animal
in the area is the buffalo,
and I head with Mark
to harvest a buffalo
for the community quota.
(helicopter blades whirring)
- [Mark] The first time
I visited here was in ’94
and I fell in love
with the area.
At that time, there about
were a total of 1,200 buffalo
in the whole of the complex,
so it was pretty dismal,
you know?
Today, the Delta is sitting
with 25,000 buffalo.
(helicopter whirring)
(buffalo grunting)
A couple of years ago,
we campaigned government
to give us a community quota,
and that quota is not
a quota that allows
the local community to
go out there and hunt.
It actually allows us
to harvest those animals
for the community and deliver
them to the community.
(calming music)
- [Dan] The buffalo
live deep in the swamps,
so we climb into an old terrain
and we head out into the Delta.
- [Mark] So then
today, as you know,
we’re after the
community buffalo.
Our community gets three tags
from government every year
and specifically for their
own use the entire animal.
So what we are looking for
is a non-trophy animal,
an old bull.
But this is the wettest
year we’ve had since 1994.
So we gonna be in this
from here to the islands.
So you’ll have to be strong.
The only good thing is Ryan,
if he is kind, will
come fetch us there,
won’t make us walk
back again afterwards.
- There’s just a little
island at the top here
where a lot of the old single
Dabwe like to hang out.
You can see the trees
cut in the distance here,
probably about 300 yards to go,
so hopefully it’s
been worth the slog.
(hogs grunting)
Furthest to the left.
(calming music)
(gunshot)
- [Dan] One of the
most important aspects
of taking the life
of an animal, to me,
is the honest sense of
community and connection
that comes from
sharing sustenance
with friends and family
family and those in need.
- [Mark] So what
we are looking for
is a non-trophy
animal, an old bull.
- [Dan] The trackers
expertly quarter the bull
to transport the fresh carcass
for distribution to the
community on the same day.
Nothing goes to waste
in a well-functioning ecosystem.
Vultures pick off the remains,
acting as nature’s
garbage disposal service.
30 tons of meat are distributed
to the community each season.
Traditionally, the Tozo
community would hunt
using Spears or snares to
harvest animals to eat.
But a snare is an
indiscriminate killer
and will eliminate whatever
finds itself entangled,
whereas the legal
quota for hunting
set by the Mozambican government
specifies that old males
past their breeding prime
can be harvested in
sustainable numbers.
- [Mark] With this
community quota,
I think the important thing
is our local community
are actually very happy that
we do the hunting for them.
It’s not like they are hunters
that want to get out there
and experience the
thrill of the chase.
They’re more practical.
They do it purely for meat.
We’ve never had a single person
show anything but
gratitude for it.
This is the community spot here
where we deliver the meat.
- [Dan] In order for
conservation to work,
we have to partner
with the community.
So it’s critical to have
that strong relationship.
I’m eager to see how
this whole process works
and how the meat is distributed.
It’s very fulfilling
to play a part in this.
(Knife blades scratching)
- Kaz Antonio is the headman
of this village over here.
So as the headman, he’s
signing to say that
he’s received one
buffalo for his village.
We do it in a formal manner
so that everyone knows
we have a record of who’s
received meat when and where,
and then he will be in charge
of dividing amongst everyone.
(men chatting)
Bush meat trade and bush
meat is as old as time.
Bush meat was a huge part
of the people’s diet.
So by us doing these meat crops,
we are fulfilling what
they’ve done for centuries.
It takes away the need for them
to go and poach,
it’s sustainable.
We’re taking out
a select portion
of the population of wildlife.
The Safari op will benefit,
the wildlife will benefit
and the community will benefit.
(woman speaking
foreign language)
- So, Dan, I think the
meat drop is probably
the most basic part of
our community projects
and over the next
couple of days,
if you’ve got a bit of time,
I’d really like to show
you the rest of them.
- I’d love to see that
- Great.
(clapping)
(background chatter)
- Apart from the
meat distributed to
the local community,
Zambeze Delta Safaris
has also taken on
a number of community projects
to enable the population.
(rooster crowing)
- Okay. So Dan, this is Zach.
Zach is our community
liaison officer.
He heads up all of our
community programs.
The farming, the
beekeeping, the maize mill,
the school, the clinic, he’s
our liaison between community.
Does a darn good job.
Let’s go and have a look
at some of the bees.
- We’ve had some of the
honey, it’s quite good.
- It is good, isn’t it?
About as organic as
you can find anywhere.
So Dan, there you have it.
This is what we call an
African Top Bar hive.
Your brood is in the center
and the honey you harvest
is on the outside.
And we use a combination of
African Top Bar hives like this
and the more modern Langstroth
hives with the frames.
- Zambeze Delta Safaris
has also taken on
a number of community projects
to enable the population.
So Dan, there you have it.
This is what we call an
African Top Bar hive.
- Can you tell us
how it’s beneficial
to the community to
have this this program?
- We give the community a
guaranteed market for the honey.
So basically, every
year when we harvest,
we’ll send the team
around, headed up by Zach,
they’ll harvest the honey.
Each guy’s honey gets
weighed that evening
and is paid out for it.
- How many hives total
do you have here?
- We have a little bit
over 400 at this stage.
Working towards 1000.
What you see here is the
Zambeze Delta community farm.
What you see behind
us here is all rice.
They got a phenomenal
crop last year.
The local farmers here do
all the farming themselves,
except we do the
plowing for them.
Slash-and-burn has
historically been
how the folks in this
region produce their food.
It’s pretty hard
on the environment.
They’ll take a mature
piece of forest,
very often with huge big trees,
way over a 100 years old,
and in October, when we get
our really hot temperatures
and the north wind,
they’ll burn it.
And it kills everything.
Those big 100 year old trees
are killed from the
heat of the fire.
So you’re taking a forest
that might have taken
100 years, 200 years to develop,
you’re burning it down and
planting one crop there only.
It’s unsustainable and
we can’t support that.
And hence the importance of
a farming project like this.
- So by bringing the tractor in,
you’re essentially taking
the pressure off the forest?
- That’s exactly it.
- The concession have also shown
that Delta has an
additional tool
to aid in their harvesting.
- So Dan, this is the
community maize mill.
They use it to mill
a bit of everything.
They mill cassava with it, corn
and they make a flour
or a meal out of it
which all forms part of
the staple of their diet.
The crops are
farmed predominantly
by the women in the villages.
So Dan, this is the rice from
our community farming project
and Zach’s one of the
participating farmers as well.
And he harvested in excess
of 60 bags that this year.
- With a crop of rice like this,
the fishing project
and the meat,
I can assure you no-one
goes to bed hungry
in this concession.
- [Dan] As wildlife
populations recover,
poaching also
increased in the area,
and the need grew for
more organized protection.
- [Mark] Now we run, you know,
a pretty large
anti-poaching unit
which is highly successful.
(calming music)
- [Dan] As wildlife
populations recover,
poaching also
increased in the area,
and the need grew for
more organized protection.
Traditionally,
the Tozo community
would hunt using
spears and snares.
- [Mark] We run a pretty
large anti-poaching unit
which is highly successful.
(calming music)
(calming music)
- [Dan] The community needs
to benefit from the operation
and share in the value
that wildlife can create
for this to be sustainable.
After seeing how this
whole operation functions,
I’m left with the
feeling that this model
can be sustained for
generations to come.
Before I head out,
Chief Thozo has
asked if I would like
to join him and his
family to share a meal,
and I am humbled by the offer.
- That sounds great.
This model can be replicated
anywhere where the
primary land use is
hunting across Africa,
while creating incentives
to keep wildlife on the land.