Population status of Anubis baboons and Grivet monkeys and their conflicts with humans in Humbo Community Managed Forest: implications for primate conservation, Wolaita, Southern Ethiopia

Approximately 60% of the non-human primate species have been threatened with extinction and many species have also persisted in small populations in forest fragments. The aim of this study was to estimate the population size of Anubis baboons and grivet monkeys and their conflicts with the local people around Humbo community managed forest. The study area was classified into two habitat types: dense forest and open forest. The total counting method was implemented to determine the number of the non-human primates in the area coverage of 29km2. Identification of sex and age categories was carried out based on body size, pelage, and external genitalia. A questionnaire was used to collect the data among the households about the human–primate conflicts. The estimated number of Anubis baboon was 424 individuals with a population density of 14.6/km2 and the estimated grivet monkeys were 256 individuals with a population density of 8.8/km2. The major types of Anubis baboon and grivet monkey conflicts in the area include crop raiding and livestock predation. The majority (59.01%) of the farmers faced crop raiding. More than half of the respondents replied that guarding was an effective measure to protect the crop damage by the primates. Although the estimated population size of the Anubis baboons and grivet monkeys was lower in the present study area as compared with the studies in other parts of Ethiopia, the frequencies of conflicts of the Anubis baboons and grivet monkeys were increased. Therefore, it is essential to increase the involvement of the local people for the implementation of effective conflict avoiding strategies and primate conservation

Assessment of human-wildlife conflict in the Central Omo River Basin, Ethiopia

Human-wildlife conflict is a global issue for wildlife provisional due to crop damage and livestock depredation by wild animals. Developing effective human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies requires understanding the conflict patterns, species involved, and attitudes of local people living along protected area boundaries. The human-wildlife conflict was investigated via an emphasis on crop damage and livestock depredation in the Central Omo River from 2019 to 2020. Cross-sectional study designs were used to assess human–wildlife conflict. A total of 300 household heads were selected using systematic random sampling techniques. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire survey and focus group discussion. The responses were compared using a non-parametric Pearson Chi-square test after the data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Anubis baboon (38.75%) and porcupine (26.07%) contributed to higher crop loss cases. The most common types of crop damaged by the wild animals were sweet potatoes (38.34%) and maize (19.14%). The average estimated loss of crops and livestock cost was US $102.2 and US$185.4 per year per household, respectively. The highest livestock loss was: cattle (n = 336), followed by goats (n = 241). The most frequently reported predator responsible for livestock depredation was the spotted hyena (40.3%) and leopard (34.4%). More crop loss and livestock depredation incidents occurred in the villages close to the forest. The local people utilized various traditional methods to mitigate these problems, which includes guarding (26.0%). The findings suggest the need to address the issue of human-wildlife conflict in the context of sustainable conservation practice through a combination of indigenous and conventional rationales to demonstrate that wildlife can co-exist with people.&nbsp

Population Density of Wild Animals and Their Conflict in Konasa_Pulasa Community Conserved Forest, Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia

Human-wildlife conflict presents an increasing challenge to conservation, particularly in densely populated parts of low-income countries. An investigation on wild animal population density and its conflict was carried out from December 2019 to May 2020 in the Konasa_Pulasa Community Conserved Forest, Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia: implications for wildlife conservation. The distance sampling method was used to estimate the population status of wild animals in an area of 187.57 km2. Human-wild animal conflict was quantified using a questionnaire survey with 290 randomly selected household heads from five villages. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted to obtain additional information. The mean density of the Anubis baboons was 4.51 ± 0.76, that of the grivet monkeys was 3.24 ± 0.51, that of the porcupines was 0.89 ± 0.17, that of the spotted hyenas was 0.58 ± 0.15, and that of the black-backed jackals was 0.65 ± 0.12 individuals/km2. The result shows that crop damage and livestock predation were common problems in the study area. The most damaged cereal crops were maize (26.5%). The Anubis baboon was the most common crop raiding species (34.9%). An estimated average loss of different crop types was US$15.01 per year per household. Regarding livestock, sheep (36.2$24,395.92 in five villages. Guarding (47.4%) was the main means of mitigation methods. Most farmers’ (47.4%) attitude towards wild animal conservation was positive. The extent of the damage varied between villages and with the distance from the forest boundary. Local people close to the forest boundaries were highly vulnerable to wild animal conflict. Our results show that livestock predation and crop damage were common problems caused by Anubis baboon, verves monkeys, porcupines, spotted hyenas, and black-backed jackals. The increase in the population of wild animals and the proximity to the forest are the causes of HWC. Guarding is the dominant traditional method used to reduce HWC in the study area. Using effective methods to reduce livestock damage and loss to crops, including improved livestock husbandry, cultivating unpalatable crops near the forest and raising local community awareness could make local residents aware of conservation

Human–wildlife conflict and attitude of local people towards conservation of wildlife in Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia

<p>Human–wildlife conflict is a serious challenge undermining the integrity of protected areas in developing countries. Developing effective human–wildlife conflict mitigation strategies requires an understanding of the conflict patterns, species involved and attitudes of local people living along protected area boundaries. We hypothesised that (1) there was a high level of human–wildlife conflict and (2) the local people would have less favourable attitudes towards problematic wild animals. We assessed patterns of human–wildlife conflict and attitudes of local people along the boundary of Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia from 2012 to 2014. A total of 354 households were selected randomly for interview. A questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and direct field observations were carried out in the selected villages. The major types of human−wildlife conflict in the area include crop raiding, livestock predation, increased risk of livestock diseases and direct threats to human life. A majority of the respondents (68.1%) faced crop damage and domestic animal loss, 12.3% reported threat to humans and 0.3% reported that the wildlife might cause diseases. Close proximity of the villages to the park and seasons influenced livestock predation intensity with highest predation in the wet season (56.0%). To mitigate these problems, the local people utilised various traditional methods, including guarding. Most respondents had positive attitudes towards the conservation of wildlife. However, as the frequency of conflicts increased in the last five years, the attitudes of local people might change. Active measures are to be implemented to mitigate the problem and safeguard the future of the wildlife around the park. The park has enormous potential to benefit more local people by implementing a participatory management approach to conservation.</p

Season and habitat affect diversity, abundance and reproductive state of small mammals near Lake Abaya, Ethiopia

This study investigated the spatio-temporal association of small mammals in human-modified habitats. Small mammals were sampled using Sherman traps along 200mtransects (with one trap at every 10minterval) in each of four habitats (cropland, forest patch, scrubland and wetland) replicated twice. Additional trapping was carried out in rural settlements comprising of eight homesteads, with five traps per homestead. Trapping was conducted in three sessions during the agricultural seasons: rainy (October), off-rain (December) and dry (February) over two years (2018 and 2019). In each session, trapping was carried out for three consecutive nights. A total of 497 small mammals belonging to 12 species from four families (Soricidae, Macroscelididae, Gliridae and Muridae) were captured. Murine rodents accounted for 99.4% of the animals with Mastomys erythroleucus (58%) being the dominant species. The scrubland had the highest small mammal species diversity while the cropland had the lowest. M. erythroleucus was not strongly associated with any spatio-temporal parameter and scored majority of seasonally reproducing individuals in the cropland, signifying its pest importance. Though disconnected from protected areas, habitats such as the scrubland harbor diverse small mammal species (including a vulnerable-endemic species, Grammomys minnae), suggesting the habitats’ significance for ecosystem functioning and conservation