Human-wildlife Conflicts in Ethiopian Protected Areas

The paper aimed to review Human-Wildlife Conflict which is fast becoming a serious threat to the survival of many endangered species in the world. Thus, this paper seeks to compile detailed information regarding the nature and magnitude of HWC and mitigation measures taken to reduce human-wildlife conflict in different protected areas in Ethiopia. A lot of literatures and reports from print and electronic media were consulted during the course of preparation of the article. The main problem that cause such conflict between wildlife the local community residing near the protected area of Ethiopia was created by lack of access to forest resources for the local community, crop and livestock damage on humans. Hyena and Baboon were common problematic animals in different protected areas of Ethiopia. To reduce such conflicts and promote sustainable conservation; co-management and interdisciplinary participation of different sectors were needed.


Nature and magnitude of Human-wildlife Conflicts in Protected area of Ethiopia
The types of conflicts were found to exist in the protected area of Ethiopia and adjoining community owned areas are either of the people and their livestock move into the protected area to access the resources that they need and lack in their areas or when wild animals disperse from the protected area into the community land either to feed on their crops or on their normal migrations to their feeding or breeding areas.
Local communities' encroachment to wildlife area to generate the requisite level of domestic animal product for support, the local communities graze the protected area by entering areas traditionally inhabited by wild animals. Though there is very large numbers of the local community live within the protected area, the local community encroaches onto the protected area, the native wildlife and humans are brought into conflict in Yabello Protected area (Tesfaye and Jatin, 2017). The local communities in different parts of Protected area uses the forest products to support their daily consumption and for marketing goods such as charcoal is another factor.
The study conducted by (Megaze et al, 2017) in South west Ethiopia namely Chebera churchura national park on the sample size of 354 respondents 61.5% claimed that problematic animals such as Papio Anubis, Syncerus caffer and Crocuta crocuta had recently increased in the area which is the major causes for human wild conflict. Increase in the number of wildlife populations and human proximity to the protected area is also common problem in in Borena Sayint National Park (Biset et al, 2019). The growing densities in livestock populations can create an overlap of diets and encourage competition with wild herbivores, resulting in overgrazing and a decline or even extinction in wild herbivore populations (Tesfaye and Jatin, 2017).
According to Tesfaye and Jatin (2017), wild animals that engage in crop raiding in his study area were monkeys, antelope, zebras, and wild pigs are the major wild contributors to crop damage. Many of these animals, such as the dik-diks, are also hunted by community members. Although some species are also disappearing, in recent years local wildlife offices have established committees for species that live in and around the Yabello protected area Because of limited access to cash and lack of compensated for crop losses, the local communities of Ethiopia is more suffered by crop damaged by wild animals. Study conducted by (Mojo et al., 2014) in Checha district of Gurage Zones in Ethiopia, shows that grivet monkey is one of the major wild animals that frequently damage crops. Crop raiding undermines food security and tolerance of wildlife within neighboring human communities. The perception of respondents toward wildlife such as leopards being among the major problematic wildlife species could be due to its livestock depredation behavior and threatening human life. Leopards may cause a wide range of damages on human property and injure and kill humans. Leopards have been frequently cited among the top livestock predators wherever its range overlaps with livestock (Yirga et al. 2013).
Large carnivores like lions, spotted hyenas and leopards were reported to attack cattle, donkey's goats and sheep in Tanzania (Kissui, 2008). Other studies in Ethiopia by Yihune et al, (2009) indicated that spotted hyena caused the most pronounced problems and the local communities' loss their oxen, cows, donkeys, mules and horses by spotted hyena. In Chebera Churchura national park a total of 1449 predator attacks were reported during the study period. A total of 221 sheep (Ovis aries), 306 goats (Capra hircus), 206 cattle, 577 chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), 36 donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) and 103 dogs (Canis familiaris) were killed by predators (Biset et al, 2019). Hyenas are a cause for great concern, as they are pack animals; when they intrude on developing settlements in large numbers, they frequently cause significant damage. When native prey is abundant, wild predators tended to prefer it to livestock, and diminishing prey populations is one of the major causes of increased predatory tendencies in the animals (Tesfaye and Jatin, 2017).
According to Kebede et al (2016), Leopard and spotted hyena were reported to be the most destructive wild animal in all surveyed villages, including baboons, which were especially destructive in all villages further away from the protected area. Leopard Prefer cow for their prey. Hyenas were reported to be responsible for all types of livestock depredation, from cattle to poultry. Poultry were mainly depredated by small carnivores (jackals and baboons).
In many parts of Africa, the conflict between local people and wildlife is one of the most serious problems where villagers are located adjacent to nature reserves (Mackenzie 2012). The study conducted by Megaze et al (2017) in Chebera churcura national park revealed that living in close proximity like human settlements and agricultural fields to protected areas imposes costs such as loss of crops and livestock to wildlife, injury and death, and time and resources spent to guard livestock.
The local people of the present study area deployed various traditional methods to protect their crops and livestock from pest animals. They used repellents in the form of fire, noise and chemicals, and construction of different physical barriers, guarding, fear-provoking stimuli such as scarecrows, beating drums and chemical repellents for deterring crop-raiding wildlife. Capsaicin resin extracted from chilli peppers, which causes an extremely unpleasant irritation and burning, were used by local people as a chemical deterrent for a variety of wildlife species (Aberham, et al, 2017).
Local communities in different parts of protected area perceived that guarding where used with other methods is effective and had a low capital investment, but often is tedious and time consuming. The behaviour and