Farmers-wildlife conflict types, adopted mitigation strategies and their effectiveness in subsistence farming in Ido-Osi Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated Farmers-Wildlife conflicts in subsistence farming within the Ido Osi local government area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The research encompasses the identification of conflict types, adopted mitigation measures, and their effectiveness. Through the use of standardized questionnaires, information from 150 participants across all the 11 towns was gathered. IBM SPSS and Microsoft Excel were used for the analysis. The results showed that majority (65%) of the respondents were male majority and a dominant age range of 55-64 years (44%) for both genders. Highest percentage (51%) of the farmers had informal education, with 43% of them practiced traditional religion. Majority (46%) of homes which had 4-5 people, were married. The Yoruba ethnic group constitutes 91% of the participants. The following wildlife species were found to be involved in conflicts: vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) (crop raiding during harvest - 22%), porcupines (Erethizon dorsaum) (crop destruction - 69%), African civet cats (Civettictis civetta) (livestock predation - 53%), waterbucks (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) (water source conflicts - 37%), and spitting cobras (Naja nigricollis) (direct attacks during farming - 51%). Crop rotation (x̄=4.11), scare tactics (x̄=4.04), nocturnal vigilance (x̄=2.55), scent-based deterrents (x̄=2.83), wooden fences (x̄=4.41), crop netting (x̄=3.91), motion-activated lighting (x̄=3.95), altering harvest timing (x̄=4.36), non-lethal traps (x̄=3.39), and direct killing (x̄=4.29) are the mitigating strategies that were observed. The study concluded that a combination of these preventive measures effectively reduces conflict incidents. Development and execution of community-specific wildlife management plans and the support of initiatives that spread knowledge and awareness will help lessen conflict.