Electrified fencing as a mitigation strategy for human-elephant conflict in Western Serengeti: Community perspectives

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a serious threat to communities living proximal to wildlife areas. Understanding the attitudes of local communities toward HWC management is critical for planning and designing effective and sustainable mitigation strategies. Here we used quasi-structured questionnaires to assess local community attitudes toward the electrified fencing installed in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti Ecosystem to mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC). We found that most of the respondents agreed that the installed electrified fence effectively mitigates HEC. In addition, fencing has been perceived as effective in controlling problematic or dangerous animals other than elephants, and therefore increasing harvest yields, improving the physical security of farms and properties, minimizing illegal hunting, and reducing interaction between domestic and wild animals. Furthermore, the local people in the surveyed area expect that human-wildlife coexistence will improve after the fence installation. As the area is famously known for the annual great wildebeest migration, we recommend further studies on the ecological impacts of the installed fence.