CHAPTER 2: HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT AND THE

COMMUNITY: ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY ATTITUDES AND BUSHMEAT UTILIZATION

USING SOCIAL SURVEYS

CBE is way toward sustainabilitySpecifically- it is a way to balance conservation near

Tsavo National Park with rural economic development

Social Surveys allow us to: • ascertain the community’s feelings toward

conservation• tourism• wildlife• the levels of human-wildlife conflict

Social Surveys as Tools for Conservation

• CBE requires a good understanding of the potential impact on the local community (Schmidt-Soltau 2004)

• Six villages: Rukanga, Jora, Bungule, Kiteghe Makwasinyi and Kisimenyi

• Potential threats to the effectiveness of CBE1. High levels of human-wildlife conflict in

the region2. Negative view of wildlife in the community

Our Survey Instrument

Hypotheses

I. Due to the abundant snaring activity in the region the surveys will indicate bushmeat utilization within the villages and will not be congruent with our molecular analysis.

II. Due to apparent geographic, economic and demographic differences the survey responses will differ on a per question basis among the villages

Methods: Conducting the Surveys

•Aug 5th to 14th 2006•Women as respondents•Survey teams•Translators•Introduction•Assurance of anonymity•Raffle for prizes

Top Prize!A Kerosene Stove and jug of kerosene

ResultsVillage Bungule Kiteghe Kisimenyi Makwasinyi Rukanga Jora # of Respondents

53 40 56 41 54 62

Survey Date 8/5/2006 8/7/2006 8/9/2006 8/10/2006 8/11/06 & 8/18/2006

8/14/2006

Bushmeat Section: Percent of “YES” Responses- Support Hypothesis

Bushmeat Queations Average % "YES"

N=306

Do villagers sell wild animals for money? 36.6

Do villagers kill wild animals to protect crops? 46.1

Do villagers purchase wild animal meat for food? 43.8

Do acquaintances kill wild animals for food? 33.0

Do acquaintances sell wild animals for money? 27.5

Do acquaintances kill wild animals to protect crops? 43.5

Do acquaintances purchase wild animal meat for food? 35.6

Do family members kill wild animals for food? 18.0

Do family members sell wild animals for money? 11.8

Do family members kill wild animals to protect crops? 38.9

Do family members purchase wild animal meat for food? 37.3

Could you purchase meat from wild animals? 43.5

Could you purchase meat from wild animals to feed family? 41.2

Parties implicated in participation in bushmeat activities

RELATEDNESS p-value

Villager Acquaintance 0.07 Villager Family 0.000 Acquaintance Family 0.001

Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance p=0.000 Tuckey’s HSD pairwise comparison

Rationale for participation in bushmeat activities

RATIONALE p-value

Protect Crops For Food 0.001

Protect Crops For Profit 0.000

For Food For Profit 0.156

Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance p=0.001

Tuckey’s HSD pairwise comparison

Category Question # of "YES" Responses

% of Respondents answering "YES"

1- Feelings Toward Tourism

Do you like tourists visiting village? 306 100

Is tourism important to your village? 303 99

Would village benefit from more tourism? 294 96

Would you like to see more tourists? 301 98

2- Actualized Benefit From Tourism

Have you sold hand-made items to tourist? 174 57

Have you cooked for tourists? 63 21

Shared history of village w/ tourist? 124 41

Sold farm products to tourists? 61 20

Respondent received $ from tourists visiting? 171 56

Ecotourism Section: Percent of “YES” Responses

Respondents were significantly more positive regarding their perceived benefit of ecotourism than their actual experience with tourists (KW Mann-Whitney p=0.014)

Wildlife SectionPercent of “YES” Responses: Conflict

Wildlife Questions # of "YES" Responses

% of Respondents answering "YES"

Is protecting wildlife important?

275 90

Is killing wildlife necessary to protect crops?

153 50

Is a fence necessary to protect residents?

233 76

Is a fence necessary to protect crops?

243 79

Wildlife Section Percent of “YES” Responses:

Protection of Wildlife, Residents and Crops

Significance OutlyingVillage

YES responses

Do villagers kill wild animals for food? p<0.05 KET more

MAK fewer

Do family members purchase wild animal meat for food? p<0.05 JOR fewer

Have you sold hand-made items to tourist?

p<0.001 KIS Fewer

MAK More

Sold farm products to tourists? p<0.05 JOR Fewer

Have villagers been injured by wildlife? p<0.001 KET Fewer

Has home been damaged by wildlife? p<0.001 BUN More

Is killing wildlife necessary to protect crops? p<0.05 JOR More

Is a fence necessary to protect residents? p<0.05 MAK Fewer

Is a fence necessary to protect crops? p<0.05 MAK Fewer

Significant Differences among the Villages: Support Hypothesis

Discussion

Discussion

Issues with the Survey• Honest Answers/ Lack of

Trust• Presence of Outside

Influences– Other women– Men– KWS

• More Taita translators needed

• Illiteracy

Future Research

•Network Analysis:•informal bushmeat trade•major businesses in each village

•Innovative and inexpensive ways to protect the villagers’ crops•Collect more economic, demographic and geographic data on the villages to •Look for correlations concerning less bushmeat availability•Lower human-wildlife conflict and higher profits from tourism