Human-primate conflict: with special emphasis on pest monkey-human conflict in yerosokoru kebele of sokoru district, Jimma Zone, Oromia regional state, South West, Ethiopia

Abstract

Human-primate conflict is a crucial issue when it threatens the economic and social security of rural people as well as compromising biodiversity conservation initiatives. This study was conducted to determine the extent of human-primate conflict: with special emphasis on pest monkey-human conflict in Yerosokoru kebele of Sokoru district, Jimma Zone, Oromia Regional State, South West, Ethiopia. The study was conducted from September, 2013 to April, 2014. Field observation and community based cross-sectional study were employed to this study. Observation, questionnaire survey and Focus group discussion were used to collect data. For the questionnaire survey, 243 respondents were randomly selected from 580 households. The study area was divided into study sites and three habitat types: around human settlement areas, farmland and fragmented forest habitats. Four primate species Papio anubis, Chlorocebus aethiops, Colobus guereza, and Cercopithecus mitis were identified. Anubis baboon (Papio anubis) and vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) were considered most problematic primates in the study area. Anubis baboon was the most abundant primate species (51.40% in wet season, WS and 50.22% in dry season, DS). Vervet monkeys’ abundance was the second (34.97% in WS and 35.32% in DS). Totally, 203.7+21.04 in WS and 182.4+17.22 in DS Papio anubis and 138.6+17.04 in WS and 128.3 +16.03 in DS Chlorocebus aethiops were recorded in the study area. The abundance of the primates was significant with respect to seasons (F(3,116) = 139.72, P < 0.05 in DS and F(3,116) = 123.55, P < 0.05 in WS). Anubis baboon was found distributed on farmland and fragmented forest habitats while vervet monkey was distributed around human settlement areas and farmland habitats. On average, Anubis baboon resulted 31.52% annual loss of maize per hectare and vervet monkey on average, resulted 29.94% annual loss of maize per hectare. Social, economic, security, psychological and health problems were other impacts of pest primates other than crop attack. Pest primates’ population size increasing, expansion of agriculture, crop raiding/eating adaptation and behavior of pest primates, and neighboring of pest primates to human residence were found to be significant factors that caused the conflict between human and primates in the study area (X2 (6) =317.92, P < 0.05). Guarding by adult humans (males) was the main crop predation prevention and mitigation way practiced in the area. The pest primates were causing serious and great economic losses and other problems like social, security, health etc. The district administrator, agriculture sector and kebele chairman should pay due attention to the problem and solve being with the stakeholders and also give training on ways of coexistence to the communities.