Sustainable Human-Wildlife Conflict Management Strategies Around Busitema Central Forest Reserve, Eastern Uganda

Andrew Mulabbi,Joyfred Asaba,Makoba Gudoyi Paul,Remigio Turyahabwe

doi:10.37284/eajfa.3.1.423

Abstract

The study aimed at establishing sustainable Human-wildlife co-existence strategies to help settle the conflicts existing between humans and wildlife living around Busitema Central Forest Reserve. To achieve this, we first examined the nature of the existing conflicts which helped us to come up with conflict-specific co-existence strategies. We used questionnaires, interviews and focused group discussions, where the information obtained was confirmed by field observations. The data was then analysed using simple descriptive statistics like percentages, means and standard deviations. Results indicated that primates (baboons and monkeys) dominated the conflicting list of wildlife with humans followed by rodents while carnivores were the least reported. Crop raiding (100%), livestock and poultry predation (36%) were the most dominant conflicts reported posed to man while habitat destruction (40%) and road accidents (26%) were the biggest conflict man has posed on wildlife. Equitable compensation (10±0.0) and community involvement in conservation (8±1.4) dominated the sustainable Human-Wildlife co-existence strategies suggested by local communities. It was concluded that, involvement of local communities in wildlife conservation should be prioritized and areas surrounding the protected forest area should be planted with crops such as tea and trees such as eucalyptus (woodlots) that are not affected by wildlife but rather are enhancers of wildlife habitats

Highlights

The struggle to alleviate poverty often comes with conflicting loyalties between use and conservation of natural resources more so, wild/environmental biodiversity and the land resources they occupy (Mekonen, 2020)
Busitema Central Forest Reserve is located in eastern Uganda in the district of Busia, about 297km by road from Kampala on the Kampala - Tororo high way
Respondents reported the Papio anubis species of baboons to be affecting 7 parishes (70%) of the area studied. 100% of the respondents in the parishes of Habuleke, Bubango, Buhobe and Busitema indicated that baboons are a problem to their socio-economic wellbeing

Summary

Introduction

The struggle to alleviate poverty often comes with conflicting loyalties between use and conservation of natural resources more so, wild/environmental biodiversity and the land resources they occupy (Mekonen, 2020). In LDCs where population growth has resulted into shortage of land for both settlement and agriculture, this has forced humans to encroach on the fragile and reserved wildlife ecosystems such as forests and National parks (McNally et al, 2017) Under such circumstances human communities surrounding these protected areas have looked at wildlife conservation as a constraint to their socio-economic wellbeing. Aggressive primates such as baboons, monkeys, chimpanzees in the conserved areas/lands have either stealthily or boldly attacked humans, strayed in their crop gardens surrounding conserved areas, preyed on both poultry and domestic animals These interaction between wildlife and people results into conflicts which negatively impact on people and their resources, or wild animals and their habitat (Ogada, et al, 2003; Faulhaber et al, 2008)

Methods

Results

Conclusion