scholarly journals Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Impacts Community Perceptions around Kibale National Park, Uganda

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Lev Kolinski ◽  
Krista M. Milich

The attitudes of community members living around protected areas are an important and often overlooked consideration for effective conservation strategies. Around Kibale National Park (KNP) in western Uganda, communities regularly face the threat of crop destruction from wildlife, including from a variety of endangered species, such as African elephants (Loxodonta africana), common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus tephrosceles), as well as other nonhuman primates, including olive baboons (Papio anubis). These frequent negative interactions with wildlife lead many community members to resent the park and the animals that live within it. To mitigate these issues, community members around KNP partnered with researchers to start a participatory action research project to reduce human-wildlife interactions. The project tested four sustainable human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies: digging and maintaining trenches around the park border, installing beehive fences in swampy areas where trenches could not be dug, planting tea as a buffer, and growing garlic as a cash crop. These physical exclusion methods and agriculture-based deterrents aimed to reduce crop destruction by wild animals and improve conditions for humans and wildlife alike. We conducted oral surveys with members of participating communities and a nonparticipating community that border KNP to determine the impact of these sustainable human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies on attitudes toward KNP, wildlife officials, and animal species in and around KNP. We found that there is a positive correlation between participation in the project and perceived benefits of living near KNP. We also found that respondents who participated in the project reported more positive feelings about the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the organization that oversees KNP. This research will help inform future conservation initiatives around KNP and other areas where humans and animals face conflict through crop damage.

Oryx ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Webber ◽  
C. M. Hill ◽  
V. Reynolds

AbstractPrimate crop raiding is a major cause of human-wildlife conflict around the forests of western Uganda. In an attempt to ameliorate the situation a conflict mitigation strategy was established in villages around the Budongo Forest Reserve in 2001. Live-traps were constructed that allowed the identification of crop raiding animals; pest species could be disposed of and threatened species released unharmed. However, by 2004 none of the traps in the study area were functioning and interviews were conducted to assess the reasons for their decline and local people's acceptance of the intervention. Forty-one percent of respondents did not believe the strategy was effective and the majority of local farmers did not accept responsibility for the traps. This was because of operational failures in four areas: (1) the identification of key stakeholders, (2) objective evaluation to assess the efficacy and benefit of the intervention, (3) participatory monitoring and evaluation, and (4) long-term funding commitment by conservation agencies. We examine the impact of these four elements upon the sustainability of the live-trap programme and stress the importance of recognizing and reporting failures to develop effective and acceptable mitigation strategies.


BMC Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sefi Mekonen

Abstract Human–wildlife conflict occurs when the needs and behavior of wildlife impact negatively on humans or when humans negatively affect the needs of wildlife. To explore the nature, causes and mitigations of human wildlife conflict, the coexistence between human and wildlife assessment was conducted around Bale Mountains National Park. Data were collected by means of household questionnaires, focus group discussion, interview, field observation and secondary sources. The nature and extent of human wildlife conflict in the study area were profoundly impacted humans, wild animal and the environment through crop damage, habitat disturbance and destruction, livestock predation, and killing of wildlife and human. The major causes of conflict manifested that agricultural expansion (30%), human settlement (24%), overgrazing by livestock (14%), deforestation (18%), illegal grass collection (10%) and poaching (4%). To defend crop raider, farmers have been practiced crop guarding (34%), live fencing (26%), scarecrow (22%), chasing (14%), and smoking (5%). However, fencing (38%), chasing (30%), scarecrow (24%) and guarding (8%) were controlling techniques to defend livestock predator animals. As emphasized in this study, human–wildlife conflicts are negative impacts on both human and wildlife. Accordingly, possible mitigate possibilities for peaceful co-existence between human and wildlife should be create awareness and training to the local communities, identifying clear border between the closure area and the land owned by the residents, formulate rules and regulation for performed local communities, equal benefit sharing of the local communities and reduction of human settlement encroachment into the national park range. Generally, researcher recommended that stakeholders and concerned bodies should be creating awareness to local community for the use of wildlife and human–wildlife conflict mitigation strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39
Author(s):  
A. L. A. SHOTUYO ◽  
O. A. AKINTUNDE ◽  
F. G LANLEHIN

The study assesses the impacts of Human-Wildlife conflicts in the surrounding villages in Old Oyo National Park (OONP), Nigeria. Two ranges out of the five ranges were used. Four villages were selected based on the distribution of primates and wildlife populations with each range producing two villages around Old Oyo National Park, were randomly selected for wildlife assessment. A total of 80 well-structured questionnaires were administered to the villagers with each getting 20 questionnaires respectively.  Data collected were subjected to inferential and descriptive statistics. Result shows that among other socio demographic characteristics tested against the impact of Human –wildlife conflict in the park, educational level and religion show significant difference (p<0.05). the buffer zone around the park has been extensively encroached; this made most of the surrounding villages to the park fall within the average distance of 2.6km. about 79% of the villages make use of fire wood for their household cooking. Major animals that intrude farmlands in the study areas include monkey (24%), Grasscutter (11%), Cattle (19%), Gorilla (12%), Antelope (6%), Cane rat (5%) and Rabbit (3%). Some of the crops attacked by the wildlife animals include; tubers (24%), tubers and vegetable (7%), tubers and fruits (36%), tubers, vegetable and fruits (3%), vegetable (7%), fruits (3%). All the respondents (100%) rated the level of attack and damages to their crops as high.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-87
Author(s):  
Elly Lestari Rustiati

Human-wildlife conflict in Way Kambas National Park is still going on with some social and economic lost. Indirect conflict mitigation through the building local landscape based ecotourism was studied in Margahayu, Labuhan Ratu VII, East Lampung. Its local people awareness play important role in supporting its local economy empowerment. Besides Rumah Konservasi, potential natural track showing plant diversity, entrance point for wild elephant to the settlement, orange plantation and natural swamp was chosen for further works.  Name boards were assigned.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Nabeel Awan ◽  
Atif Yaqub ◽  
Muhammad Kamran

Wildlife populations are at a risk of extinction mainly because of human-wildlife conflict (HWC). The present study was designed to evaluate the ongoing HWC with special reference to Common Leopard (Panthera pardus) in Ayubia National park through field study as well as a literature-based approach. Questionnaire interview surveys were designed for wildlife officials working in the park and the locals who bear the cost for leopard conflict through livestock depredation and crop damage. The study showed that human-leopard conflict in the study area has been increasing. More than 60% of people considered livestock depredation as the major reason for their negative perception towards the common leopard. Among livestock, goats were more vulnerable which showed that leopards mostly preferred smaller prey. A number of reported human injuries and deaths on account of Human-Leopard conflict in the study area helped conclude that human-wildlife conflict is a significant issue. Mitigation measures may hence be recommended, such as livestock compensation schemes and community-based conservation approaches, etc. It is critical to avoid human-Leopard conflict not only to keep the public and their property safe but also to help conserve this important species of common leopard (Panthera pardus).


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Ronald Orare Nyamwamu ◽  
Justus Moturi Ombati

Agriculture is critical in the achievement of food security, employment of creation opportunities, steering economic growth, and also a source of raw materials for agricultural industries in many Sub-Saharan countries. However, farmers face various challenges which negatively affect farm productivity and production. Human-wildlife conflict is one of the most pressing challenges that smallholder maize farmers experience in some parts of Kenya. It arises from either people’s encroachment on wildlife habitats or the movement of wildlife from their natural habitat into neighboring farmland. Small-scale farmers use various agricultural extension strategies to mitigate the conflict. However, the effectiveness of the agricultural extension mitigation strategies adopted by smallholder maize farmers in Laikipia County had not been investigated and information on the same was inadequate and poorly documented. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of the agricultural extension wildlife conflict mitigation strategies adopted by smallholder maize farmers in Laikipia County. Whereas a document review guide was used to collect secondary data, semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data from maize farmers and extension agents. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze primary data. It was established that crop damage was very severe, even up to 70% per cropping season although farmers used mitigation strategies such growing of unpalatable plants, live fences, hairy crops, and digging trenches. This study concluded that the Agricultural Extension Mitigation Strategies used were not effective. It was recommended concerted efforts between stakeholders in the conflict to realize the benefits of synergies so as to stem crop damage and give small-scale farmers a chance to be food secure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Getahun Shanko ◽  
Bekele Tona ◽  
Barena Adare

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a continuous problem in the world and has a significant impact on both human and wildlife populations. This study was conducted to investigate the HWC around Belo-Bira Forest, Dawro zone, southwestern Ethiopia. We collected data from October 2019 to March 2020 through semistructured questionnaires, focus group discussion, direct observation, and key informant interviews. Our results show that crop damage and livestock predation were common problems caused by Papio anubis, Cercopithecus aethiops, Crocuta crocuta, Canis aureus, and Potamochoerus larvatus. Human population growth, habitat disturbance, proximity to natural forest, and competition between wildlife and livestock are the identified causes of HWC. Moreover, the study identified guarding and fencing as dominant traditional methods used to reduce HWC in our study area. Therefore, local communities can minimize crop loss by using the most effective method in an area, and crops such as wheat, maize, and teff should not be grown near the forest edge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-45
Author(s):  
Maheshwari Bhatta ◽  
Rajeev Joshi

This article is based on a study carried out in buffer zone of Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP), which lies in Kanchanpur district of Nepal. It is aimed to assess nature and extent of crop damages, livestock depredation and human casualties, and to identify local people's attitude towards wildlife conservation and management. Primary data was collected through preliminary field visit, questionnaire survey of households, key informant interviews, focus group discussion and direct field observation. Paddy was major crop damaged by wild animals, followed by wheat and maize. Wild boar followed by elephant and deer were found as the most problematic animals causing crop damage, while common leopard was found as the major culprit for livestock depredation. The proximity to the national park was found determining factor to the extent of damage caused by the wild animals. People’s attitude towards wildlife conservation was found to be positive; however, more than 85% of respondents showed dissatisfaction towards park authorities’ effort for conflict management. Active participation of local people in conservation and awareness program can play a vital role to reduce and mitigate the human wildlife conflict at community level.


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