Audu Habu

• Biodiversity Journal, 15 (4): 813-827

  Audu Habu & Nik Fadzly N Rosely
  People and wildlife: prevention strategies and farmers’ perspectives on human-wildlife conflict management around Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State, Nigeria
  https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.4.813.827

  ABSTRACT
  Protected areas are universally acknowledged as being crucial to the conservation of biodiversity. However, through cross-border contacts, protected areas can also be the source of conflict between people and wildlife. As wild animals migrate or move in and out of protected areas for feeding, they may encroach upon adjacent human settlements or agricultural lands, resulting in social-ecological interactions such as crop raiding, wildlife depredation, and retaliatory killings which can significantly affect both humans and the survival of wildlife. This study investigates the type, extent, mitigation strategies by locals and the perceptions of the villagers on what should be done by the management of Yankari game reserve toward addressing human-wildlife conflict around the protected area. A total of 255 households from 17 villages around Yankari game reserve, were interviewed. Results showed that maize (60%), and millet (31%) were the most affected crops. Fox (78.4%) was the common species related to livestock depredation. Guarding mitigation strategy was the most frequently used method (60.6%) by villagers. Results showed that patas monkey (42%), baboon (34%) elephant (27%), were the most frequently reported animals involved in conflict. Monitor lizard (29.4), African hedgehog (19.2), and feral cat (15.3%) were the most frequently killed animals.

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