Wildlife Raids on Agricultural Crops: Orders of Species and Farmers Perspectives at Gashaka Gumti National Park Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the orders of class mammalia and class aves among the species of wildlife that destroyed agricultural crops, at the Gashaka Gumti National Park, and farmer's perception concerning the raids. Order: primates (12.5%), rodentia (18.75%), artiodactyla (50.0%), pholidota (6.25%), and lagomorpha (6.25%) were the major mammalian orders. Order galliformes (6.25%) was the only avian order identified. Farmers perception of the most destructive wildlife species correlated significantly with an independent assessment r = +0.84, df = 5, P < 0.05. Most raids were carried out in the morning and evening however the observed period of raids on crops among farmers differed significantly, ÷² = 23.74, df = 6, P < 0.05. 68.42% - 84.21% of farmers guarded their farms as the most common strategy toward off raids by wild animals, while 84.21% - 94.74% of farmers advocated killing the animals as a control strategy to curb wildlife raids. This indicates that without adequate preventive measures in place, local farmers would extirpate the population of wildlife species that frequently raid grains, tuber and other crops at Gashaka Gumti National Park.