Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Conservation conflicts are an increasing global problem with wildlife having an adverse effect on humans and vice versa. For example, wildlife destroys crops that are an important source of livelihoods for humans, and humans destroy wildlife habitats. Human and wildlife co-existence depends on limiting these adverse impacts, which can be achieved through conservation and wildlife damage management. In the area surrounding Njukiri forest in Embu, Kenya, farmers face the problem of wildlife from the forest foraging in their farms and destroying their crops. Primates such as olive baboons (Papio anubis), vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) and syke’s monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis) cause the most extensive damages. The farmers spend both time and money scaring the wildlife away from the croplands, but still incur big losses to their crops. This study aimed at analyzing if acoustic deterrence in the form of human voices could be sufficient to limit the crop damage caused by wildlife, at least temporarily. Experiments using mixed recordings of farmers talking and shouting at wildlife were conducted at farms located close to the Njukiri forest. At each site, a bait station was maintained, and wildlife appearances at the bait station were recorded using motion-triggered cameras. Repeated periods with and without acoustic deterrence were evaluated at each site. However, after comparing the mean rates of animal appearance between sites and periods, no significant evidence of the effect of sound on animal appearance was found.