By Wallace Mawire
Wild Africa has announced the launch of the Ndebele-language version of Wildlife Info, an AI-powered WhatsApp tool designed to help communities live safely alongside wildlife by using practical mitigation techniques to reduce conflict. The rollout follows the successful introduction of the English-language version in September 2024, which saw strong uptake with over 17,000 active users.
Zimbabwe is home to the world’s second-largest elephant population and the other members of the Big Five. Due to expanding settlements, warmer, drier growing seasons caused by climate change, and small-scale agriculture, the country continues to experience high levels of human-wildlife conflict, especially in areas where local communities border national parks.
Incidents include crop damage, livestock predation, property destruction and, in some cases, injury to both people and animals. Improving access to reliable information is therefore critical for encouraging peaceful coexistence with wildlife.
Wildlife Info, the WhatsApp tool developed by Wild Africa, offers conflict-mitigation guidance and tools from experts at Save the Elephants and Wildlife Conservation Action. Users are able to access information ranging from help with elephants to support for living near wild animals such as crocodiles, lions, hyenas and hippos.
The tool also includes a quiz testing the user’s knowledge of elephants, where they stand a chance to win data to support ongoing access. The initiative is supported by the Elephant Crisis Fund and launched in partnership with ZimParks.
Some of the most popular requests include:
Information on reporting wildlife crime or injured animals.
Safety guidance on elephant and predator behaviour.
Practical methods to reduce human-wildlife conflict activities like crop damage and livestock losses.
Visual guides, tips, and interactive learning content.
With just one WhatsApp message, Wildlife Info can help keep both people and wildlife safe. Accessing the tool is very simple:
Click the WhatsApp link, choose your language, and follow the prompts.
Save +263 78 727 6366 as a contact and send “hi” to begin.
Scan the QR code featured on campaign materials.
Peter Knights OBE, Wild Africa CEO, said: “The uptake of the initial English rollout demonstrated the clear value of Wildlife Info as a practical, on-demand resource for communities living near wildlife. Introducing a Ndebele version strengthens its impact by ensuring that guidance is accessible, understandable and usable for the people who rely on it most.””
Dr Lucy King, Save the Elephants’ Coexistence Director, added: “We recognise that elephants make challenging neighbours, and we hope that by increasing knowledge and access to this whole library of effective coexistence tools and techniques through the Ndebele version of the Wildlife Info tool on your mobile phone, it will help people live more easily with elephants. We have to work together as a society to reduce human-elephant conflict in Zimbabwe, as both elephants and people deserve to live in peace.”
The new Ndebele rollout is supported by Public Service Announcements from Wild Africa ambassadors: Sandra Ndebele and Mzoe 7, while Tariro Gezi, Rumbidzai Takawira and Moreangels Mbizah recorded new PSAs in English promoting the WhatsApp tool and mitigating techniques for living with elephants and other wildlife. It is also promoted via TV inserts, radio slots, social media messaging, and more. Initial campaign ambassadors who continue to promote the tool include Voltz, Samantha “MisRed” Musa, Hilton Mudariki, and Butterphly.
“Being situated next to Hwange National Park, many of our community members struggle with human-wildlife conflict on a regular basis with both elephants and predators. The Wildlife Info WhatsApp tool is a valuable and easily accessible tool to learn to live with elephants and other wild animals. As many of the community don’t speak English, the Ndebele translation opens up this tool to them to learn and implement mitigation techniques. Also, the installation of Starlink at our community learning hub will enable free access to much-needed WiFi to learn via the app. This has opened a whole new world for our members in the ongoing fight for Human Wildlife Coexistence,” stated Ndlelende Ncube, Director, Tikobane Trust.
Farai Chapoterera, Country Manager Zimbabwe for Wild Africa, noted: “Having been in the field training community members on using the Wildlife Info tool, it has been abundantly clear how appreciated the translation into Ndebele has been. When we speak to Zimbabweans in their own language, we can reach and help so many more people at risk from human-wildlife conflict, and assist them to live in harmony with elephants and other wildlife.”