Ecological interactions, local people awareness and practices on rodent-borne diseases in Africa: A review.

Several anthropogenic activities exposure humans to the risk of rodent-borne diseases. These activities are but not limited to logging, clearing land for crop cultivation, and consuming rodents. Rodents are a highly diverse mammalian group and harbor many zoonotic diseases.

Prevalence of among rodents captured in a semi-arid tropical ecosystem of south-western Zimbabwe.

This study assessed the prevalence of plague bacterium () among rodents captured in Umzingwane and Nkayi districts, south-western Zimbabwe. A total of 44 rodents were captured on three consecutive days per trapping session in the study sites using a removal trapping method in April 2018. Captured rodents were euthanized, and blood samples were collected.

An analysis of threats, strategies, and opportunities for African rhinoceros conservation.

The complexity and magnitude of threats to black () and white () rhinoceros conservation in Africa have triggered global concerns and actions. In this study, we analyzed (i) threats to rhinoceros conservation including external shocks, (ii) historical rhinoceros conservation strategies in Zimbabwe and Africa, more broadly, and (iii) opportunities for enhanced rhinoceros conservation in Zimbabwe and Africa. A literature search from 1975 to 2020 was carried out using a predefined search protocol, involving a number of filters based on a set of keywords to balance search sensitivity with specificity.

Trophy quality trends and hunting effort of selected big game in Chewore South Safari Area, northern Zimbabwe, 2009-2012.

This study was based on a temporal analysis of trophy quality trends and hunting effort in Chewore South Safari Area (CSSA), Zimbabwe, for the period 2009-2012. We selected four of the big five species, namely; buffalo (), elephant (), the leopard () and lion () for analysis. Existing database of 188 trophies from 2009 to 2011 was reviewed and recorded using the Safari Club International (SCI) scoring system.

Towards sustainable community conservation in tropical savanna ecosystems: a management framework for ecotourism ventures in a changing environment.

The sustainability of ecotourism ventures under the Community Based Natural Resources Management in Zimbabwe is under stress due to environmental changes emanating from effects associated with socioeconomic factors, climate change and epidemic diseases. Using an in-depth analysis of the Mahenye ecotourism venture from the year 1982 to 2020 as a case study, this study sought to propose a management framework for ecotourism ventures in a changing environment by examining the sustainability of community conservation initiatives in Zimbabwe. Research methods included expert opinion from two natural resources governance academics, desktop research and authors' experiences about Mahenye ecotourism venture.

An Assessment of Local People's Support to Private Wildlife Conservation: A Case of Save Valley Conservancy and Fringe Communities, Zimbabwe.

The long-term survival of a protected area (PA) may depend to a greater extent on the goodwill and support of the people residing around it. This study assessed local people's support for private sector driven wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe, using the Save Valley Conservancy (SVC) as a case. Specifically, the objectives of the assessment were threefold: (i) to establish perceptions on the current nature of the relationship between SVC and people living on its edge, (ii) to ascertain the proximate and underlying causes of local resistance to SVC, and (iii) to identify strategies local people employ to resist SVC conservation efforts.

Towards an Understanding of Conservation-Based Costs, Benefits, and Attitudes of Local People Living Adjacent to Save Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe.

Communities juxtaposed to protected areas (PAs) often disproportionally accrue the costs of conservation, but they can also receive benefits from the existence of a PA. The extent to which local communities benefit or incur costs as a result of residing next to PAs is of interest to conservationists and policy-makers. This study sought to understand the costs, benefits, and attitudes of local people living adjacent to Save Valley Conservancy (SVC), Zimbabwe.

Correction: Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Protected area staff and local community viewpoints: A qualitative assessment of conservation relationships in Zimbabwe.

With the increase in illegal resource harvesting in most protected areas (PAs), the need to understand the determinants and relationships between PAs and local communities to enhance wildlife conservation is increasingly becoming important. Using focus group discussions and interviews, we established the determinants of PA staff-community relationship from both PA staff and local communities' viewpoints, and assessedperceptions of their relationship with each other. The study was guided by the following main research question, 'What is the nature of the relationship between PA staff and local communities and what are the main factors influencing the relationship?' Data were collected through focus group discussions and interviews from four PAs and their adjacent communities in Zimbabwe between July 2013 and February 2014.