Population Status, Habitat Use of Non-human Primates and Human-Wildlife Conflict in Zengmewerweria Forest Area, Ankober District, North-eastern Ethiopia

Alemayehu Bekele,Tewodros Kumssa

doi:10.11648/j.cbb.20200802.12

Abstract

Threats to the survival of wild primate population have greatly increased. Most primate populations today face ongoing habitat disturbance, yet not all species respond to disturbance the same way, while many primate species experience declines in population density. There is no much information on the population status and density of primates in Zengmewerweria forest area. Their for study on the Population status, density, and habitat use of non-human primates and cause of human-wildlife conflict was carried out in Zengmewerweria forest area, Ankober district, north- eastern Ethiopia conducted from September 2018 to December 2020. Aim of this study was to provide information on population status, density and habitat use of non-human primate and human-wildlife conflict in the forest. Total counting method was used to collect data on the population status of non-human primates in six counting blocks. Questionnaire and group discussion were used to collect data about human-wildlife conflict as well as to assess the attitude of society about wildlife. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Only two species of non-human primates Grivet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) and Black and white colobus (Colobus guereza) were identified in the forest. The total populations of Colobus guereza were 44 and 36 individuals during the dry and wet seasons respectively. There was no significant seasonal difference between seasons (χ2=1.3, df=1, P > 0.05). Similarly the total number of grivet monkey recorded during the dry season was 140 and the wet season was 117 and there was no a significant difference in the number between seasons (χ2=2.6, df=1 P > 0.05). The average density of grivet monkey and colobus was 39.67 and 12.35 individuals per kilometer square respectively. Illegal expanding for farming and illegal resource use, loss of wildlife habitat, increasing deforestation and overgrazing were the major problems encountered in the study area. Therefore, Woreda Administration should work a lot with the community to limit negative activities and protect the Forest. Furthermore, different conservation measures should be taken to increase the number of primates.

Highlights

Estimating the numbers in a primate community is important for many fields of biology and many studies base their findings on the underlying population density or abundance of the primate species being studied [22]
The species which is found in zengmewerweria forest was Chlorocebus aethiops [11] described that the grivet monkeys are distributed along the southeastern Sudan, north central Ethiopia, and Eritrea
There was a little variation in the total number of nonhuman primates counted during wet and dry seasons

Summary

Introduction

Estimating the numbers in a primate community is important for many fields of biology and many studies base their findings on the underlying population density or abundance of the primate species being studied [22]. The conversions of primate forest habitats to agricultural crops have impacted primates and other wildlife through habitat loss and fragmentation [3]. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human activities are the most common cause for the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics 2020; 8(2): 36-42 extinction of species. Extinction of species as a result of human activities is more than 100 times faster than the natural rate of extinction and far more rapidly than new species can evolve [20]

Methods

Results

Conclusion