Abstract
This human-wildlife conflict study was carried out around Midre-Kebid Abo Monastry. A descriptive survey design method was used and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using questionnaires. Field experiment was carried out on two selected crops - maize and enset, to estimate crop damage by wild animals. Resource competition (46%), increased wildlife population (42.5%) and livestock populations (11.5%) were the major causes of conflict identified in the area. Wheat and maize were the most affected crops in the area with an estimate loss of 155.29 ± 12/kg/year and 106.15±12.3/kg/year, respectively. The average loss of enset obtained from estimation of 0.36 ha in four counts was 36 kg. On the other hand, the average loss of maize from estimation of 0.12 ha in four counts was 48 cobs (9.6 kg). Therefore, estimated damage based on the total coverage of enset (32 ha) and maize (42 ha) has become 3200 and 3360 kg, respectively. The most known problematic wild animals in the study area were apes (86.2%) followed by monkey (71.3%) and hyena (56.3%). Albeit there is an intense human-wildlife conflict in the study area, majority of the respondents (64.5%) have positive perception towards wildlife conservation. Different crop/livestock protection mechanisms, including guarding, chasing, hunting, fencing, cooperative guarding, guarding using dogs, trapping and scarecrow are used by the local community. The use unpalatable crops as buffer crops enforce environment and forest related laws and local government engagement in creating awareness about wildlife conservation and compensatory schemes are important to lessen the problem. Key words: Crop loss, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Midre-kebid Monastery.
Highlights
Human-wildlife conflict is any interaction where there is an overlap between wildlife needs and human needs that resulted in costs to residents and wild animals (World Park Congress, 2003)
Human population growth and activities such as agricultural expansion, habitat loss, deforestation, inappropriate site selection for settlement in forested areas and expansion of agricultural activities together have led to increased human encroachment on previously wild and uninhabited areas
The major causes of human-wildlife conflict identified in the study area were resource competition, high livestock density and increased wild animal populations
Summary
Human-wildlife conflict is any interaction where there is an overlap between wildlife needs and human needs that resulted in costs to residents and wild animals (World Park Congress, 2003). It is a rising global problem, which is not restricted to particular geographical regions or climatic conditions, but it is common to all areas where wildlife and human populations co-exist and share limited resources (Emmanuel and Furaha, 2016). Human-wildlife conflict lessens human welfare, health and safety and has economic and social costs. Human-wildlife conflict ranked among the main threats of biodiversity conservation as species most exposed to conflict are more vulnerable to extinction (Ogada et al, 2003)
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