Assessment of human-wildlife conflict in the Central Omo River Basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict is a global issue for wildlife provisional due to crop damage and livestock depredation by wild animals. Developing effective human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies requires understanding the conflict patterns, species involved, and attitudes of local people living along protected area boundaries. The human-wildlife conflict was investigated via an emphasis on crop damage and livestock depredation in the Central Omo River from 2019 to 2020. Cross-sectional study designs were used to assess human–wildlife conflict. A total of 300 household heads were selected using systematic random sampling techniques. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire survey and focus group discussion. The responses were compared using a non-parametric Pearson Chi-square test after the data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Anubis baboon (38.75%) and porcupine (26.07%) contributed to higher crop loss cases. The most common types of crop damaged by the wild animals were sweet potatoes (38.34%) and maize (19.14%). The average estimated loss of crops and livestock cost was US $102.2 and US $185.4 per year per household, respectively. The highest livestock loss was: cattle (n = 336), followed by goats (n = 241). The most frequently reported predator responsible for livestock depredation was the spotted hyena (40.3%) and leopard (34.4%). More crop loss and livestock depredation incidents occurred in the villages close to the forest. The local people utilized various traditional methods to mitigate these problems, which includes guarding (26.0%). The findings suggest the need to address the issue of human-wildlife conflict in the context of sustainable conservation practice through a combination of indigenous and conventional rationales to demonstrate that wildlife can co-exist with people.