Rev. sci. tech. Off. int. Epiz.,zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZ 1988,zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgf 7 (4), 773-782. The economic potential and utilisation of wildlife in Zimbabwe B.A. CHILD * Summary: Wildlife utilisation, based on safari hunting but with meat as a by- product, is the best economic use of some semi-arid rangelands; wildlife-based recreation is lucrative, and has the further advantage of raising income without intensifying grazing pressure in an easily degraded ecosystem, because income does not depend directly on how many animals are present. However, wildlife enterprises will only develop where landholders "own" their game, and where markets are simultaneously available. These conditions apply on privately-owned rangelands in Zimbabwe where, consequently, the industry has been expanding; this contrasts with a stagnating cattle sector. In some peasant areas wildlife has an even greater relative potential, but no advantage is taken of this because it is a "common" resource which, further, landholders have no experience of marketing. Wildlife will not fulfil its potential until these deficiencies are corrected by developing (1) marketing channels and (2) institutions that make landholders accountable and responsible for their use of wildlife. There are indications that such developments are indeed possible, and when they are introduced peasant communities can use and conserve wildlife successfully. KEYWORDS: Africa - Food of animal origin - Game ranching - Meat animals - Natural resources - Wild animals - Zimbabwe. INTRODUCTION Present systems of using Africa's semi-arid rangelands (300-750 mm rainfall) are neither ecologically sustainable nor economically viable. Research in Zimbabwe suggests that wildlife enterprises have a comparative advantage over conventional agricultural and pastoral practices in these environments and can therefore be used to foster economic development (1). However, sustainable economic utilisation depends as much on whether the institutions to regulate the use of, and allocate the benefits from this use, are in place, as on the inherent economic potential of the wildlife (5). For instance, the majority of African communities manage wildlife as a common resource, for which individual users are not accountable, so there is little incentive to manage it efficiently or sustainably even where it has considerable economic potential. Moreover, although lucrative markets for wildlife products are available, these have seldom been developed. The energy that fuels rangeland production systems stems mainly from the environment through the consumption of herbage; but the very productivity of the ecosystem depends on the vigour of this vegetation. It is therefore unfortunate that * Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management, Box 8365, Causeway, Zimbabwe.