CROP PROTECTION INTERVENTIONS AND WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT AROUND KIBALE NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA

Abstract

Crop damage by wild animals affects farmers livelihoods (Rusoke, 2021). This paper presents data on crop protection interventions against wildlife damage on crops around Kibale National Park (KNP), western Uganda. Through purposive sampling 375 crop farmers bordering KNP owning gardens within 1-kilometer distance from the park boundary were selected to participate in the study by answering a household questionnaire on crop protection interventions against wildlife damage. Results reveal that farmers around KNP were involved in protecting their crops against wildlife damage through guarding (63%), chasing wild animals from their gardens (12%), drumming (9%), lighting fire at night to scare away elephants (6%), and growing buffer crops such as tea (3%). Digging trenches, planting Mauritius thorns, setting up beehive fences and elephant deterrent boards were the major protected-area initiated crop protection interventions against wild animal crop damage around KNP. KNP management had dug trenches of up to 84 km mainly to deter elephant crop depredation. A total of 1,214 beehives were distributed to farmers in eleven sub-counties where crop damage was most reported. The beehives are set up in a line fences along the park boundary to stop elephants from crossing. Farmers in parishes where beehives were set up in form of fence lines and fully colonized reported less damage on their crops by elephants and increasing damage were reported in areas where beehive along the beehive fence lines was not colonized or broken down by poachers. Routine maintenance of trenches was reported to reduce rates of incidences of wild animals crossing the park boundary and attack crops in the gardens. Expanding trench networks and supplying more beehives to create beehive fence lines is recommended as effective measures to deter farmers' crops damage by certain wildlife species around Kibale National Park.