Primate abundance, Distribution and Human-Primate conflict in Chora District, Buno Bedelle Zone, Oromia Regional State, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Human-Primate conflict is a term commonly used by conservationists to describe the interaction between primates and people. This paper aims to provide the society as well as the concerned government body with the relevant data about primate abundance, distribution and human Primate conflict. The research is conducted in Oromia regional state, Buno Bedelle zone at Chora Woreda specifically at Aba Goro and Sese Dukeche kebeles. The study is conducted based on field observation, questionnaire survey and interviews for data collection and the collected data is analyzed by using SPSS software in terms of descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies and chi-square test. The result showed that the estimated population size of olive baboon (Papio anubis) in the study area was 266, Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) 219 and Colobus monkey (Colobus guereza) was 197. The population density of olive baboon was 66.5 individuals/km2, Vervet monkey 54.8 individuals/km2 whereas colobus monkey was 49.3 individuals/km2. The adult male to adult female sex ratio of olive baboon was 1:1.36, Vervet monkey 1:1.1 and colobus monkey was 1:1.63. Crop raiding and livestock predation were two major sources of human primate conflict in the study area. The attitude of most respondents to the importance of conservation of olive baboon and Vervet monkey was negative. However, most respondents had positive attitude towards conservation of colobus monkey