Authors :
Joseph Mayindo Mayele; Victor Stephen Woja
Volume/Issue :
Volume 7 - 2022, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://bit.ly/3IIfn9N
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/3PcUh7N
Abstract :
In the universe, homo sapiens have ever
competed with wildlife species for centuries and still
continuing with them for habitat and resources. They
have further innovated and adapted to become the
dominant ecological force on the planet although their
co-existence with other species is inevitable. The limited
resources opted for this conflict has contributed to the
extinction of numerous wildlife species while others
threatened; changes in ecosystem structure and
function; and immeasurable loss of human life, crops,
livestock, and property. The amelioration and mitigation
of this conflict is central to the conservation and
restoration of many species, and debates over how and
whether to coexist with other animals, drive social,
economic, and political conflict within and among
human communities. Therefore, wildlife conservation is
one of the fundamental aspects of proper management of
wildlife resources and resolving conflicts between man
and wildlife species. This study examined the attitudes
and perception of local communities residing within and
around Nimule National Park (NNP) towards wildlife
and its conservation, wildlife ownership, and humanwildlife conflict management. In order to identify factors
influencing their attitudes and perceptions, purposive
sampling method was used to select the respondents
within the wildlife administrative areas including areas
situated around NNP. A simple random sampling of 50
households’ respondents was chosen from each of the
units. Questionnaires were used to collect the data from
households’ respondents and then analysis was done in
excel spreadsheet and statistical package for social
sciences (SPSS) and Minitab v.16majorly computed in
descriptive statistics which were then displayed in tables,
charts and graphics as frequencies, percentages and
significance levels in regression.
The study revealed that the communities do not
participate in wildlife conservation (64%) and the
conflicts occurred as a result of wildlife encroachment
into agricultural/farm lands, grazing lands and
settlement, but crop raiding was the major source of
conflicts in the landscape. The regression results also
indicated that communities’ conservation attitudes and
perceptions towards wildlife were mainly influenced by
access to education with a significance value (p=0.004).
Majority of the local people around the park had
negative attitudes and perceptions toward the park, its
wildlife species and conservation. By restricting access to
the park resources, the people feel deprived, hence the
occurrence of conflict. Provision of tangible benefits and
alternative livelihoods for local people engaged in the
subsistence activities in the landscape should be
considered as a central point to the park management,
protection and conservation of its wildlife species,
tourism development initiatives, with a view to
alleviating poverty and improving human welfare and
livelihoods within the park
Keywords :
Human-wildlife conflict, wildlife conservation, Perceptions, impacts of human-wildlife conflict, Nimule National Park
In the universe, homo sapiens have ever
competed with wildlife species for centuries and still
continuing with them for habitat and resources. They
have further innovated and adapted to become the
dominant ecological force on the planet although their
co-existence with other species is inevitable. The limited
resources opted for this conflict has contributed to the
extinction of numerous wildlife species while others
threatened; changes in ecosystem structure and
function; and immeasurable loss of human life, crops,
livestock, and property. The amelioration and mitigation
of this conflict is central to the conservation and
restoration of many species, and debates over how and
whether to coexist with other animals, drive social,
economic, and political conflict within and among
human communities. Therefore, wildlife conservation is
one of the fundamental aspects of proper management of
wildlife resources and resolving conflicts between man
and wildlife species. This study examined the attitudes
and perception of local communities residing within and
around Nimule National Park (NNP) towards wildlife
and its conservation, wildlife ownership, and humanwildlife conflict management. In order to identify factors
influencing their attitudes and perceptions, purposive
sampling method was used to select the respondents
within the wildlife administrative areas including areas
situated around NNP. A simple random sampling of 50
households’ respondents was chosen from each of the
units. Questionnaires were used to collect the data from
households’ respondents and then analysis was done in
excel spreadsheet and statistical package for social
sciences (SPSS) and Minitab v.16majorly computed in
descriptive statistics which were then displayed in tables,
charts and graphics as frequencies, percentages and
significance levels in regression.
The study revealed that the communities do not
participate in wildlife conservation (64%) and the
conflicts occurred as a result of wildlife encroachment
into agricultural/farm lands, grazing lands and
settlement, but crop raiding was the major source of
conflicts in the landscape. The regression results also
indicated that communities’ conservation attitudes and
perceptions towards wildlife were mainly influenced by
access to education with a significance value (p=0.004).
Majority of the local people around the park had
negative attitudes and perceptions toward the park, its
wildlife species and conservation. By restricting access to
the park resources, the people feel deprived, hence the
occurrence of conflict. Provision of tangible benefits and
alternative livelihoods for local people engaged in the
subsistence activities in the landscape should be
considered as a central point to the park management,
protection and conservation of its wildlife species,
tourism development initiatives, with a view to
alleviating poverty and improving human welfare and
livelihoods within the park
Keywords :
Human-wildlife conflict, wildlife conservation, Perceptions, impacts of human-wildlife conflict, Nimule National Park
