Illegal settlement in the Babile Elephant Sanctuary is threatening the resident elephant population

Emily Neil,Elizabeth Greengrass

doi:10.1017/s0030605320001088

Emily Neil, Elizabeth Greengrass

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605320001088

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Abstract

AbstractThe Babile Elephant Sanctuary in Ethiopia was established in 1970 specifically to protect its elephants Loxodonta africana. They were once part of a larger population that ranged in eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia but that was largely extirpated during the 20th century. Since its establishment, the Sanctuary has experienced severe anthropogenic pressure, inadequate government support, and civil conflict. Mapping was undertaken to analyse the rate of human immigration into the Sanctuary in 2006, 2014 and 2017, as part of an assessment of the Sanctuary's effectiveness in protecting its resident elephant population and in mitigating anthropogenic pressures. From 2006 to 2017 the number of illegal houses in the Sanctuary increased from 18,000 to > 50,000, of which > 32,000 were in the area in which elephants range. This settlement, coupled with high demand for natural resources, has resulted in significant habitat destruction and could also have exacerbated human–elephant conflict. Elephant conservation and monitoring by the Born Free Foundation were challenging because of ethnic conflict; rural and political stability is required if efforts to protect wildlife are to be successful. Unless these issues are resolved and the integrity of the Sanctuary is restored, this elephant population will be extirpated in the near future.

Highlights

The establishment of protected areas is a key strategy for the conservation of habitats and species, and the global loss of biodiversity would likely be even greater in their absence (Geldmann et al, ; Gray et al, )
Functioning ecosystems within protected areas can play a part in poverty alleviation and economic development for surrounding communities (Naughton-Treves et al, )
One third of the world’s protected areas are under intense pressure from people (Jones et al, ), and without adequate funding and resources many are ill-equipped to manage the threats to biodiversity (Leverington et al, ; Coad et al, )

Summary

Introduction

The establishment of protected areas is a key strategy for the conservation of habitats and species, and the global loss of biodiversity would likely be even greater in their absence (Geldmann et al, ; Gray et al, ). In , the Midhega valley, located between Gobele and Erer, was degazetted by the federal government, possibly to facilitate commercial development of the Flora Eco-Power biofuel project, which was established illegally inside the Sanctuary in and employed skilled workers, , unskilled workers and , farmers who grew agricultural products on their own farms for sale to the company (Gebremeskel & Tesfaye, ). It may have been an indirect response to the densely settled human population, which may have migrated into the area looking for work with the company. To assess the overall effectiveness of the protected area in mitigating anthropogenic pressures, mapping was undertaken in to measure the rate of human immigration into the Sanctuary

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