Mlamuleli Mhlanga
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Title: Incentives matter: Attitudes of people towards the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in communal and resettlement lands, Western Zimbabwe
Biography
Biography: Mlamuleli Mhlanga
Abstract
The perception of local people towards large carnivores is central to the management programs targeted to conserve “problem wildlife species”. The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) has been an active large carnivore in human-wildlife conflicts in Zimbabwe. We conducted structured questionnaire surveys to assess the attitude and perceptions of people (n=353) towards the species in Zimbabwe from October 2014 to February 2015. The study area was split into Environmental Conservation Areas (ECAs) and communal areas (CAs) based on their distance from the protected area (PA) boundary. Attitudes of people were analysed using multinomial logistic regression. On average, each household lost approximately US$676 of livestock per annum although villages within 10 km from the forest incurred more. A significant proportion of the respondents (p=0.00) from CA desired the spotted hyena population to decrease and had a negative feeling about the species. Top model ranking showed that distance from PA, livelihood source and extent of livestock loss had an influence on farmers’ perception about the spotted hyena. Although these predictors influence attitude towards spotted hyenas, incentives play a pivotal role in moderating the human side of the conflict with the spotted hyena, while livestock husbandry practices are key in reducing the conflict. It is recommended that the ECAs model should be embraced in communal areas since it encouraged a positive attitude of farmers towards the spotted hyena and wildlife