Room to Roam: Enhancing Connectivity for wildlife and coexistence in Southern Africa

This is a report of a workshop organised by IFAW at the TFCA International Conference and Summit in May 2025 in Harare. This meeting focused on elephant conservation and connectivity in Southern Africa. Experts discussed research findings on elephant populations, movements, and habitat connectivity, emphasizing the importance of large, protected areas and corridors for the persistence and viability of metapopulations. The discussion also covered community role in conservation efforts, policy recommendations for improving human-wildlife coexistence, and innovative approaches to landscape management and financing for large scale conservation initiatives.

Conclusion The facilitator concluded the Room to Roam discussion on connectivity, highlighting how the presenters had explored the topic from a balanced viewpoint vis- a vis academic, applied research, practitioner, private and community perspectives. Two questions were discussed in the plenary. a. Functionality of the virtual fence alert system: Panelists responded by explaining how the system sends notifications to community members and wildlife authorities, with a dashboard to monitor reports and resolutions. b. The role of art and music in conservation efforts: The panelists emphasized their importance in bringing emotion and authenticity to the message, complementing the scientific and factual aspects of conservation work. The presentations are attached

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• Room to roam workshop report
• Presentations Room to roam