Attitude and Perception of Local Community towards Wildlife in and around Debra Libanos open Hunting Area, North Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Attitude and perception of local community towards wildlife is crucial element in conservation of wildlife in everywhere protected area. Therefore, this study was conducted to the current status of attitude and perception of local community towards wildlife in and around Debre Libanos open hunting area in North Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Respondents were purposively selected (58) from total households (120) in the study area in order to carry out data collection. As the result showed that majority of respondents (73%) were reflected negative, some of them (20%), reflected negative and some others (7%) were have neither negative nor positive or neutral attitude and perception towards wildlife. The reasons of negative respondents were crop raiding (52.5%), destruction of domestic animals (26.5%), competition with livestock and disease transmission and lack of compensation (7%). The reasons of positive respondents were collection of wood fire (41%), construction of house (25%), attracting tourist (16.6%) and ecological value. The major problems mentioned in the study area reported by respondents were crop raiding and there was a problem of livestock predation by wild animals in very seldom. They are Olive Baboon, Warthog, Grivet Monkey and Gelada Baboon were the identified damage causing wild animals. The most predators species mentioned were Leopard, Hyena, Baboon and wild pig cause for the destruction of livestock like Dog, chicken, Goat and sheep. Due to such problems peoples were used different control measure. Majority of them were used guarding and some others used killing with poison, using snare, repellent, changing type of crop cultivated and the route of livestock.