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Factors influencing human-elephant conflict intensity: an assessment in the Bia Conservation Area, GhanaLavelle, Jessica 28 March 2011 (has links)
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) occurs across Africa and is a major threat to the continued existence of the African elephant. To effectively implement mitigation measures, a thorough understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of HEC is required. This study used a systematic, grid-based geographical information system (GIS) to analyse the spatial and temporal relations of HEC intensity in 2004 and 2008 with underlying environmental variables in a forest habitat, the Bia Conservation Area (BCA), Ghana. Relationships between crop-raiding incident data, Moderate Image Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values and remotely sensed derived data were investigated at a 10 km2 scale using principal components analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis.
Crop-raiding was found to be clustered into distinct areas. The onset of crop-raiding in 2004 and 2008 can be attributed to seasonal variation in vegetation biomass. Decreases in EVI values were matched with crop-raiding incidents. The high number of crop-raiding incidents in 2004 could be attributed to the large fluctuations in vegetation biomass in comparison to 2008. HEC intensity was not significantly related to the environmental variables analysed at the 10 km2 scale. These results suggest that HEC intensity may be influenced by vegetation quality, soil mineral content and/or human density. A grid-based GIS system with a 10 km2 resolution used in combination with remotely sensed data and statistical tools is useful for identifying spatial patterns of HEC, even with relatively small incident data sets. The methods used in this study could be applied to other forest habitats experiencing HEC for comparative analysis. The influence of vegetation quality, soil mineral content and human density on HEC intensity in forest habitats requires further analysis.
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Investigating the effect of monetary compensation on Human-Elephant Conflict : A qualitative study in Idodi and Pawaga Divisions, TanzaniaBergman Trygg, Elias January 2015 (has links)
ABSTRACT Bergman Trygg, E. 2014. Investigating the effect of monetary compensation on Human-Elephant Conflict, A qualitative study in Idodi and Pawaga Divisions, Tanzania. Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsatser: Kulturgeografiska institutionen, Uppsala University. The purpose of this study is to investigate how a compensation scheme affects farmers’ attitudes toward elephants, the Tanzanian government and the concept of conservation. Another purpose is to see what respondents know about the scheme in relation to what is written in the scheme documents. This was done by conducting 20 qualitative interviews with farmers in five different villages in Idodi and Pawaga Divisions, Tanzania. Respondents were divided into two groups: One who had received compensation and one who had not. This aimed to distinguish differences between respondent groups, hence evaluating the efficacy of the compensation scheme and how it affects their attitudes. More interviews were conducted with victims or their relatives who had been attacked by wild animals in order to see what these victims knew of the scheme and how authorities handled attacks. Results showed small differences between the groups. Both had positive attitudes toward elephants and conservation, contradicting to what is presented in earlier studies. Attitudes toward the government were mainly negative due to suspicions of corruption. There were more positive attitudes toward the government among respondents who had received compensation. Knowledge of the scheme was low compared to what is written in the scheme documents. Keywords: Human-elephant conflict, compensation scheme, attitudes, farmers, Tanzania Supervisor: Bert Eriksson.
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Determinants of protected area boundary crossings by savannah elephants, Loxodonta africanaLee, Tamara Ann 14 February 2013 (has links)
When elephants leave primary protected areas (PPAs), such as national parks and game reserves, they may come into conflict with people residing on the adjoining land. In this study, I attempted to determine why African savannah elephants leave the PPAs in which they were collared. To accomplish this, I used telemetry locations of collared elephants in PPAs throughout southern Africa and investigated whether a range of intrinsic and extrinsic variables could explain why elephants crossed the boundaries of the PPAs. Adjoining many of the PPAs were secondary protected areas (SPAs), which consisted of community conservancies, and collectively with the PPAs formed clusters of protected areas. Most (45 of 49) elephants roamed beyond the PPAs but they remained within the clusters of protected areas. The elephants utilised both the PPAs and the SPAs and appeared to not feel threatened when using the SPAs. The reasons for elephants leaving PPAs varied both seasonally and between the sexes. The females roamed beyond the PPAs more during the wet season than the dry season, whereas, for males there was no seasonal difference. During the wet season, female and male habitat selection was similar within and beyond the PPAs. During the dry season, more females and males beyond the PPAs selected for areas close to people, which could be indicative of water. The proportion of male and female home ranges beyond PPAs did not increase with increasing density of elephant populations within the PPAs, nor did the proportion of female home ranges beyond PPAs increase with increasing population growth rate of elephant populations within the PPAs. Therefore, high numbers of elephants within the PPAs did not drive elephants beyond the boundaries. Contrastingly, the proportion of male home ranges beyond the PPAs did increase with increasing population growth rate. However, the results were inconclusive due to small sample size. This study confirms that elephants are utilising the SPAs as well as the PPAs. Therefore, the importance of including the SPAs in conservation actions for elephants cannot be over-emphasized. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted
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An Evaluation of Deterrent Methods Utilized to Prevent Crop Raiding by African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) in the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor, KenyaVon Hagen, Rebecca Lynn 01 July 2018 (has links)
Escalating human elephant conflict (HEC) continues to be a contributing factor
towards elephant decline, and crop raiding is the most common form of negative
human-elephant interactions. For communities that cannot reverse or prevent crop
raiding, it is necessary to contain HEC events through deterrent measures. Few
deterrent measures exist that combine practicality and affordability while also
preventing habituation by elephants. This project focused on comparing the efficacy of
deterrent methods to assess which was the most successful at preventing elephants
from entering crops in the farming community of Sasenyi, Kenya. In this paired-control
study, four deterrent methods were evaluated: acacia fences, chili-pepper fences, a
new metal strip fence, and a combination of a chili and metal strip fence. Of the over
400 visits by elephants to individual fields containing crops recorded during two field
seasons, elephants entered farmer fields in the experimental area on 33 occasions
(<10%). Analysis of incidents when elephants approached at less than 50 m revealed
that the chili + metal fence and the metal fence were significantly more effective than
no deterrent. Following further verification of its effectiveness, this new deterrent
method could be a powerful new tool to alleviate elephant crop raiding and reduce HEC.
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Habituation to Auditory Stimuli by Captive African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana)Goodyear, Sarah Elizabeth 01 May 2015 (has links)
Elephants are cognitive species that exhibit many types of learning. Associative, social, and insight learning have been investigated with elephants, but one of the simplest forms, habituation, has not. As an individual learns that a stimulus is neither harmful nor beneficial, it will decrease its response to the stimulus through the process of habituation. Elephants possess a well-developed sensory system and may habituate to stimuli that could be used for enrichment and/or management. The aim of this study was to examine the habituation process of elephants in response to repeated presentations of two auditory stimuli –buzzing by a disturbed beehive and the sound of banging on pots and pans, as these sounds invoke alert and avoidance behaviors in wild elephants as part of humanelephant conflict mitigation. I hypothesized that elephants would initially exhibit strong reactions to both sounds, but these responses would diminish over repeated trials. I also hypothesized that their responses to the bee sound would decrease more slowly than to the pot/pans sound because bee buzzing represents a biological cue that a threat is nearby. This study was conducted using four female African elephants (Loxodonta africana) at the Nashville Zoo. Elephants received each stimulus for a 10-day period. On the first sound presentation, the elephants reacted by exhibiting distress, avoidance, and vigilance behaviors. Over repeated presentations, the elephants stopped responding to the stimuli, suggesting habituation had occurred. They also seemed to generalize their habituation between the first and second sound, resulting in a faster habituation to the second sound. Although a preliminary study, the results suggest that elephants learn which stimuli are non-threatening and subsequently stop responding to them, most likely through habituation. Specifically, the elephants habituated to bee buzzing and banging pots and pans, two deterrents used to stop elephants from entering farmlands and eating crops. Habituation is a major concern for the development of effective human-wildlife conflict mitigation and zoo enrichment programs. The results from this study indicate that habituation is an important learning process that should be considered during the implementation of captive and wildlife management, even for highly intelligent species such as elephants.
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Elephant movements and human-elephant conflict in a transfrontier conservation areaVon Gerhardt-Weber, Katharina E. M. 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MScConEcol)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I explore how elephant movements are impacted by human activity within
the context of the proposed Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA
TFCA) in southern Africa. Being a wide-ranging species, the movements of elephants
could be an excellent indicator as to the success of TFCAs in supporting species
persistence in an anthropogenic matrix. Understanding which areas beyond protected area
boundaries are of heightened conservation importance can provide managers and
governments with insights for the management of the elephant population of KAZA
TFCA, and assist managers and governments in prioritising conservation efforts.
Satellite radio collar data were used to model long-range elephant movement within
KAZA TFCA. Movement was compared between land use types (protected and nonprotected
areas). Home ranges, core areas and seasonal ranges were calculated from
collar data. Core and non-core areas were tested for significant differences in distance to
settlements, rivers, protected area, AFRI and elevation as these spatial and ecological
variables are believed to play a role in elephant habitat selection. Short-range elephant
movements were examined in a heterogeneous, patchy landscape mosaic of settlements
and agricultural fields, remnant forest patches, and secondary forests which were
surrounded on three sides by protected areas. Elephant penetration of the anthropogenic
matrix through the use of pathways was explored through ground-based surveys, and the
impact of pathways use on human-elephant conflict calculated.
I found that elephant behavioural plasticity allows for their persistence in a spatially
heterogeneous landscape. Elephants, especially bulls, penetrated the landscape matrix
beyond protected area boundaries. Land use planning initiatives are needed to identify
and protect reachable core zones/stepping stones of quality habitat outside of protected
areas, particularly in riparian zones. Differing male and female ranging behaviour within
the landscape matrix may require separate land use management strategies: bulls travelled
at night in non-protected areas at speeds that were four times faster than in protected
areas, and made use of core zones necessary for species persistence in a fragmented
landscape. A habitat corridor in the Zambian West Zambezi Game Management Area
was identified.
I found that during short range movements in heterogeneous environments, elephants
made use of pathways. Pathways may facilitate penetration of the anthropogenic matrix
and optimize foraging strategies by connecting predictable resources, such as crop fields,
with landscape features such as preferred shelter/ resting areas, crossing points at roads
and preferred drinking spots. Pathways were found to be the only significant spatial
variable in crop-raiding. Elephants foraged randomly while in homogenous crop patches,
but when travelling through a heterogeneous environment (entering or leaving
agricultural locales), movement was directional and non-random.
Lastly I suggest that crop attractiveness may be enhanced by water availability. Results
indicated that at both the landscape and the regional scale, repeat elephant movements to
core zones and along elephant pathways provided landscape ecological variables that
need to be considered by conservation managers in land use planning. In addition,
research on spatial awareness and navigational capabilities with regards to pathway use by elephants should be encouraged, as this research topic has been largely unexplored in
the scientific literature. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis verken ek die moontlike impak van menslike aktiwiteite op olifant
beweging binne die beoogde Kavango-Zambezi Oorgrens Bewaringsarea (KAZA TFCA)
in suider-Afrika. Olifante is wydlopende spesies, en dus kan hul ruimtelike strekking ‘n
uitstekende indikator wees van die sukses van oorgrens bewaringsareas in terme van die
ondersteuning wat dié programme bied om spesies se volharding in ‘n antropogeniese
matriks te verseker. Besturrders en regerings kan insig verkry deur te besef watter areas
buiten die in beskermde gebiede, van verhoogde bewarings belang in KAZA TFCA is.
Hierdie insig verleen ook bystand aan bestuurders en regerings met die prioritisering van
bewarings inisiatiewe. Satelliet-radio nekband data was gebruik om olifante se
langtermyn ruimtelike beweging binne die KAZA TFCA te modelleer. Olifant beweging
was vergelyk tussen verskillende grondgebruik tipes (beskermde en onbeskermde areas).
Tuistestrekking, kern areas asook seisoenale strekking was bereken vanaf nekband data.
Kern en nie-kern areas was getoets vir betekenisvolle verskille in afstand vanaf
nedersettings, riviere, berskermde gebiede, AFRI, en hoogte bo seevlak, omdat hierdie
ruimtelike en ekologiese veranderlikes ‘n belangrike rol mag speel in olifant habitat
seleksie. Kortafstand olifant bewegings was bestudeer in ‘n heterogene, gelapte landskap
mosaïek van nedersettings en landbougrond, oorblywende woudareas, en sekondêre
woude waarvan drie sye grens aan bekermde areas. Olifant indringing binne die
antropogeniese matriks deur die gebruik van weë/toegangsweë was verken deur middel
van landgebaseerde opnames, waarvolgens die impak van olifante se gebruik van hierdie
paaie op mens-olifant konflik bereken kon word.
My bevindinge wys dat plastisiteit in olifant gedrag dra by tot hul voortbestaan in ‘n
ruimtelik heterogene landskap. Olifante, maar meer spesifiek olifantbulle, penetreer wel
die landskap matriks buite beskermde area grense. Grondgebruik beplannings inisiatiewe
word dus benodig om bereikbare kern areas van kwaliteit habitat buite beskermde areas te
identifiseer en te beskerm – veral in rivieroewer sones. Verskille in bul en koei ruimtelike
strekking gedrag binne die landskap matriks, mag afsonderlike bestuur stratgieë vereis:
bv. bulle beweeg vier keer vinniger in die aand in onbeskermde areas teenoor in
beskermde gebiede, daarby maak hulle ook gebruik van kern areas wat kardinaal is vir
die voortbestaan van spesies in gefragmenteerde landskappe. ‘n Habitat deurgang was
geïdentifiseer in die Zambiese Wes-Zambesie Wildbestuurarea. Die studie het gevind dat
olifante gedurende kortafstand bewegings in heterogene omgewings gebruik maak
toegangsweë. Toegangsweë mag penetrasie van die antropogeniese matriks fasiliteer, en
verleen ook dat olifant weidingstrategieë die optimum bereik deur voorspelbare
hulpbronne soos gewaslanderye te konnekteer met landskap eienskappe soos voorrang
skuiling/rusareas, kruisingspunte by paaie, asook voorrang drinkplekke. Toegangsweë
was gevind om die enigste betekenisvolle ruimtelike veranderlike in gewasstrooptogte te
wees. Olifante wei lukraak in homogene gewaslanderye, maar in teenstelling, wanneer
hulle deur ‘n heterogene omgewing beweeg het (binnegang of uittog uit landbou
lokaliteite) was die beweging gerig. Laastens, die studie stelvoor dat gewas aantreklikheid verhoog kan word deur water beskikbaarheid. Resultate dui aan dat by
beide die landskap- en streekskaal verskaf herhaalde olifant beweging na kern areas en
langs olifants togangsweë, landskap ekologiese veranderlikes wat in ag geneem moet
word deur bewaringsbestuurders tydens grondgebruik beplanning. Bykomend, navorsing
op die ruimtelike bewustheid en navigasie vermoëns van savannah olifante met
betrekking tot die gebruik van toegangsweë, moet aangemoedig word aangesien hierdie
onderwerp grootliks onverken is in wetenskaplike literatuur.
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The social structure, distribution and demographic status of the African elephant population in the Central Limpopo River Valley of Botswana, Zimbabwe and South AfricaSelier, Sarah-Anne Jeanetta 11 June 2008 (has links)
The Central Limpopo River Valley elephant population is a cross border population on which very little scientific data pertaining to numbers, distribution and demographic status is available. The total range was determined using published literature, reports, postal questionnaires and interviews. Numbers and dry season distribution were determined by means of three total aerial counts in 2000, 2001 and 2004 of the sections of the total range in which elephants were reported. Totals of 1388, 1424 and 1339 were recorded with the highest numbers in all counts in the Botswana section of the study area. Four sub groups within the population were identified. Human settlements and the distribution of rivers and fencing appeared to be the major factors influencing distribution and movement. The population is highly mobile within the total range, and numbers fluctuate markedly in any given section, but numbers in the total range appear to have been increasing slowly at below 2% per annum and the range expanding slightly over the last 30 years. Additional range is being provided by the creation of a Trans Frontier Conservation Area. Movements were determined through ground observations within the study area and seem to follow the major rivers namely the Shashe, Ramokgwabane, Simukwe, Shashani, Tuli, Umzingwane and Limpopo rivers. The social and demographic status of the population was determined through ground observations as well as total aerial counts conducted within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve from 1976 to 2004. The study has shown that group sizes increase with an increase in rainfall (average mean group size of 56.524, SDE 77.388) and decrease during low rainfall periods (mean group size of 24.157, SDE 22.223). The age structure was determined from aerial photographs during August 2000 and showed a high percentage of adults and sub adults, with infants estimated at 3%. The approximate birth rate (1.5%) calculated for 2000 is balanced by an average natural mortality determined between 1999 and 2004 of 1.8%. The inter calf interval determined from known herds observed in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve was estimated at 3.94% and suggests that the long-term birth rate for the population should be higher than that for the year 2000. The difference between the combined natural and human induced mortality rates (~4%) and the birth rate suggested by the age structure and the inter calf interval (~6%) gives the ~2% long-term increase observed in the numbers. Human elephant interactions within the study area were determined through published literature and interviews with local residents. Elephants and humans interact in both a positive and negative manor and interactions are related to human land use practices within the area. Elephants were indicated as the major problem animal in farming areas, but the major draw card within tourism operations. / Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted
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Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence in a More-than-Human World: A Multiple Case Study Exploring the Human-Elephant-Conservation Nexus in Namibia and Sri LankaCastaldo-Walsh, Cynthia 01 January 2019 (has links)
This qualitative multiple case study explored human-elephant conflict-coexistence relationships and issues of conservation in Namibia (Damaraland) and Sri Lanka (Wasgamuwa) from a posthumanist, multispecies perspective. Within each region, conflict between humans and elephants is considered high, elephants are considered endangered and are of high conservation priority, the human population has grown significantly, and community-based organizations are implementing holistic approaches to increase positive relations between humans and elephants. This study was guided by research questions that explored the current landscape of the human-elephant-conservation nexus within each region, the shared histories between humans and elephants over time, and the value in utilizing more-than-human theoretical and methodological frameworks to enhance human-elephant relationships and support conservation efforts. Data collection methods included participant observation, naturalistic observation, interviews, visual data, and documents. Data was triangulated and analyzed within each case, as well as across cases. Major themes were identified within each case that describe unique contexts, cultures, and shared histories. These findings were then analyzed comparatively. Emergent themes across cases identified ways that a more-than-human framework may be useful in fostering coexistence between humans and elephants and supporting conservation efforts. This study contributes to the evolving scholarship on multispecies approaches to inquiry and methodology from the position of conflict resolution scholar, supports a more inclusive framework for analyzing human-wildlife conflicts, discusses theoretical and methodological implications in multispecies research, and provides recommendations for future research.
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