Wildlife Raids on Agricultural Crops: Orders of Species and Farmers Perspectives at Gashaka Gumti National Park Nigeria

This study investigated the orders of class mammalia and class aves among the species of wildlife that destroyed agricultural crops, at the Gashaka Gumti National Park, and farmer's perception concerning the raids. Order: primates (12.5%), rodentia (18.75%), artiodactyla (50.0%), pholidota (6.25%), and lagomorpha (6.25%) were the major mammalian orders. Order galliformes (6.25%) was the only avian order identified. Farmers perception of the most destructive wildlife species correlated significantly with an independent assessment r = +0.84, df = 5, P < 0.05. Most raids were carried out in the morning and evening however the observed period of raids on crops among farmers differed significantly, ÷2 = 23.74, df = 6, P < 0.05. 68.42% - 84.21% of farmers guarded their farms as the most common strategy toward off raids by wild animals, while 84.21% - 94.74% of farmers advocated killing the animals as a control strategy to curb wildlife raids. This indicates that without adequate preventive measures in place, local farmers would extirpate the population of wildlife species that frequently raid grains, tuber and other crops at Gashaka Gumti National Park

Wild vertebrate pests activities on agricultural crops at Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria

A survey was conducted among 57 farmers at three different ranges in Gashaka Gumti National Park to identify wild vertebrate pests that raided and destroyed agricultural crops. The results showed that 16 wild faunaspecies were identified as crop pests. Six of them, Ceropithecus aethiops, Papio anubis, Heliosciurus gambianus, Thryonomys swinderianus, Tragelaphus scriptus, and Numida meleagris raided crops ubiquitously in the park. The number of wild vertebrate pest species and crops cultivated were not significantly different at Mayo-Selbe versus Gashaka; and Gashaka versus Filinga ranges of the park (P > 0.05). Out of 14 agricultural crops, Zea mays > Sorghum spp > Manihot esculenta > Oryza sativa > Dioscorea spp were the most widely cultivated and also mostraided crops in the park. A test of association between the number of wildlife species sighted destroying crops in the three surveyed range areas of the park, and the number of crops raided was not significant ( ÷2 = 0.95, df = 2, P = 0.62). In order to reduce losses associated with wild fauna raids on crops, and prevent the killing of wildlife to curb raids, local farmers should be educated on the need to use non lethal means of preventing crop raids such as effigies, guard animals, and reflective objects, and be encouraged to cultivate crops further away from wildlife refuge at the Gashaka Gumti National Park