Livestock predation and crop raiding by wildlife and community attitudes in the vicinity of Mankira Forest in southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Crop raiding and livestock predation negatively impact the views of the local community towards wildlife conservation. Farmers across the African continent, especially those in rural regions, incur financial losses as a result of crop damage and livestock depredation. The main objective of the study was to assess livestock predation and crop raiding activities by wildlife and community attitudes in the vicinity of Mankira Forest in southwest Ethiopia. The data were collected between November 2021 and September 2022 via a structured questionnaire. This study used a sample of 241 randomly selected respondents from the four villages, and responses were compared using chi-square tests. Pearson correlation was also used to test the relationship between the distance of farmland and the extent of crop damage. The majority of the respondents (95%) reported the presence of crop raiding and livestock predation in the area. These losses were caused by the Papio anubis (39%), the Chlorocebus aethiops (24.1%), the Hystrix cristata (15.3%), the Canis aures (58.3%), and the Crocutacrocuta (29.5%). The most vulnerable crop type for crop raiders was maize. Most of the respondents (56.7%) had a negative attitude towards wildlife conservation. There was a significant difference among age groups of respondents related to their attitude towards wildlife conservation (χ2 = 165.019, df = 8, p < 0.05). Farmers must protect their livestock and crops, as well as create a buffer zone between the farmlands and the forest, in order to reduce the damage.