Study on Conservation Threats on African elephant (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Babile Elephant Sanctuary, Eastern Ethiopia
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: The focus of this paper is to study the conservation threats on African elephants in Babile Elephant Sanctuary, Eastern Ethiopia.A simple random sampling method was used to gather data from sampled households.Total of 138 households were selected for interview nearby the study area, and qualitative survey was collected.Focus group discussion and site observations were carried out.According to the result showed, all respondents (100%) were perceived that the population explosion around the sanctuary was increasing for encroaching the land.Following human population, settlement (89.13%), human-elephant conflict (87.7%), and agricultural expansion (87%) through deforestation (84.7%) were the major threats that faced the sanctuary.The result also revealed that livestock grazing, charcoal production, poaching, less community participation, ineffective law enforcement, illegal (uncontrolled) fire, excavation of sands, and fuelwood collection were other discerned threats.Besides, less than (45%) of them were believed as hunting (i.e., other than elephants), lack of management capacity, ineffective stakeholders & partners involvement were brought less effect on present elephant conservation when related with other threats.However, only 22% of respondents were agreed with the existing management system.This might showed why the increased number and types of threats were observed in the sanctuary.Overall, this study disclosed the existence of conservation threats.Based on research results, the following inference is drawn: awareness creation for local communities and other stakeholders along with benefit-sharing for nearby communities around the sanctuary is important to lower the threats then conserve and protect elephant habitat and the values of the sanctuary.Moreover, strengthening the capacity of management and enforcing laws can minimize the intimidation and enhance opportunities.
Authors: Taye Lemma Geleta, Girma Mengesha
Institutions: Addis Ababa University, Hawassa University
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Addis Ababa University
OpenAlex ID: W4205140331