Mitigating crop raiding by forest elephants and baboons at Kibale National Park

Abstract

In Africa, most protected forests are in densely human‐dominated landscapes where human–wildlife conflict is intense. We documented farmer perceptions and responses to crop‐raiding wildlife from Kibale National Park, Uganda. Crop raiding was mostly (95%) by baboons (Papio anubis) and elephants (Loxodonta africana). While the financial loss caused by baboons and elephants did not differ, elephants were perceived as more damaging. Guarding and trenches were perceived as the most effective deterrent strategies for baboons and elephants, respectively. Distance from the park boundary and household income were significantly associated with a greater likelihood of crop raiding. Distance from the park, household head age and the species that raided crops, influenced whether a household applied one or more deterrent strategies. Households headed by women or older adults were most vulnerable, experiencing greater losses to raiding. Patterns of human–wildlife conflict around Kibale forest are complex, but the extent of crop damage was mostly determined by distance from the park and farm socio‐economic status and thus their ability to mitigate or deter raiding. Managing crop raiding requires collaboration between the park and affected farmers to ensure that mutually managed deterrent methods, such as trenching (elephants) and guarding (baboons), are effectively shared, applied and maintained.

Space use by African savannah elephants in an arid protected area dominated by a mosaic of different vegetation

“…In the arid Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) in Zimbabwe, forage quality is seasonal hence African savannah elephants roam the landscape guided by their own instinct in order to maximise on forage intake (Gandiwa et al, 2013). Consequently, African savannah elephants have migrated even outside protected habitats and raided crops leading to human-elephant conflicts (HEC) with proximal communities (Gandiwa et al, 2013;Kyokuhaire…”

“…Gandiwa et al., 2013; Ngene, 2010; Owen‐Smith & Chafota, 2012; Sievert et al., 2022; Wall, 2015) investigating African savannah elephant movement patterns and migration ecology in response to forage opportunities and poaching threats inside and outside protected areas indicated that their foraging behaviour threatened the resilience and stability of their habitat ranges. African savannah elephants, as true ecosystem engineers, shape their habitats in the process affecting their foraging opportunities (Jones et al., 1994; Kyokuhaire et al., 2023; Owen‐Smith & Chafota, 2012).…”

“…In the arid Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) in Zimbabwe, forage quality is seasonal hence African savannah elephants roam the landscape guided by their own instinct in order to maximise on forage intake (Gandiwa et al., 2013). Consequently, African savannah elephants have migrated even outside protected habitats and raided crops leading to human–elephant conflicts (HEC) with proximal communities (Gandiwa et al., 2013; Kyokuhaire et al., 2023; Ngene et al., 2009). Understanding how dominant vegetation types influence elephant movement patterns in response to spatiotemporal resource fluctuations offers an invaluable approach to their conservation in climate threatened and resource constrained arid areas (Gandiwa et al., 2013; Hema et al., 2017; IUCN, 2021; Ndaimani, 2018; Thompson et al., 2022).…”