An experimental test of community‐based strategies for mitigating human–wildlife conflict around protected areas

Conservation Letters

Robert M. Pringle¹  Paola S. Branco²  Ryan A. Long²  Marc Stalmans³  Jerod A. Merkle⁴  Lucy King⁵  Tosca Tindall⁶ 

[1] Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey;Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho;Department of Scientific Services Gorongosa National Park Sofala Mozambique;Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming;Elephants and Bees Project Save the Elephants Nairobi Kenya;Human Sciences Institute University of Oxford Oxford UK;

关键词: African savanna elephant;    beehive fences;    chili fences;    crop raiding;    human‐dominated landscapes;    keystone species;   

DOI  :  10.1111/conl.12679

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Natural habitats are rapidly being converted to cultivated croplands, and crop‐raiding by wildlife threatens both wildlife conservation and human livelihoods worldwide. We combined movement data from GPS‐collared elephants with camera‐trap data and local reporting systems in a before–after‐control‐impact design to evaluate community‐based strategies for reducing crop raiding outside Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park. All types of experimental fences tested (beehive, chili, beehive and chili combined, and procedural controls) significantly reduced the number of times elephants left the Park to raid crops. However, placing beehive fences at a subset of key crossing locations reduced the odds that elephants would leave the Park by up to 95% relative to unfenced crossings, and was the most effective strategy. Beehive fences also created opportunities for income generation via honey production. Our results provide experimental evidence that working with local communities to modify both animal behavior and human attitudes can mitigate conflict at the human–wildlife interface.

【 授权许可】

Unknown