Human ‐ Wildlife Conflict Involving Ethiopian Wolf (Canis Simensis) and Gelada Baboon (Theropithicus Gelada) in and Around Guassa Community Comservation Area, North Shoa, Ethiopia
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
A study on human - wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) and gelada
baboon (Theropithicus gelada) in and around Guassa Community Conservation Area was
conducted from September, 2009 to May, 2010. The objective of this study was to fill
information gap on human wildlife conflict and attitude of local people towards wildlife in
the country. Data on human wildlife interaction were collected based on the direct
interview questionnaire, by direct observation on crop damage by gelada baboon, focus
group discussion and by collection of faecal dropping sample of Ethiopian wolf and gelada
baboon. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and
one way ANOVA. The analysed data showed that 44.4% of the respondents faced both the
problems of crop damage and livestock predation, 10.8% faced crop damage, 36% faced
predation and the rest 8.8% of the respondents didn’t face any conflict by wildlife. The
average annual crop loss due to gelada baboon per house hold was 0.63 ± 0.05 quintal.
Villages differed significantly (F6 243 = 49.75, P < 0.001) in terms of annual crop loss by
gelada baboon. There was severing conflict between gelada baboon and local people in
Yegora, Defergie, Alfa and Tebab, but no conflict in Tarete, Ferkuta and Agancht. A total
of 2652m2 crop farm was raided and trampled during the time of observation. Only 16.8%
of the respondents reported the depredation of sheep by Ethiopian wolf. Villages not
differed significantly (χ2 = 2.32, df = 6, P > 0.05) in the response of depredation of sheep
by Ethiopian wolf. From the faecal dropping analysis, only 1.1% showed sheep prey. The
average sheep loss per house hold in the last five years was 0.20 ± 0.03. 88.8%, 6.4% and
4.8% of the respondents had positive, negative and neutral attitude towards wildlife,
respectively. 63.6% of the respondents had positive attitude whereas 28% had negative
attitude towards gelada baboon. The attitudes of the respondents towards the gelada
baboon was negatively correlated with crop damage (r = -0.31, P < 0.001). 88.4% of the
respondents had positive attitude towards Ethiopian wolf. Villages not differed
significantly (χ2 = 9.815, df = 12, P > 0.05) in their attitude towards Ethiopian wolf.
Key words: Attitude, Ethiopian wolf, Gelada baboon, Guassa Community Conservation
Area, Human - Wildlife Conflict.
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Keywords
Attitude;Ethiopian wolf, Gelada baboon, Guassa Community Conservation Area, Human - Wildlife Conflict