Challenges and Attitudes of Local Communities Towards Wildlife Conservation in Chimit Kola,Blue Nile Gorge,Ethiopia

Background and Research Aims: Incorporating local community attitudes in wildlife conservation planning is crucial for effective conservation. However, there is limited data on conservation challenges and communities’ attitudes towards wildlife conservation in Ethiopia, even absent in Chimit Kola. This study aimed to explore major threats, community attitudes towards wildlife, and the role of wildlife conservation in Chimit Kola.

Methods: We explored the conservation challenges and community attitudes towards wildlife using a semi-structured questionnaire of 384 systematically selected respondents. Logistic regression was used to determine variables that influence community attitudes towards wildlife conservation.

Results: Respondents identified farmland expansion, charcoal production, and hunting as the main and most severe threats to wildlife conservation. However, most respondents had a positive attitude towards conservation. The age and educational status positively influenced respondents’ attitudes towards wildlife conservation. Respondents who completed at least grade 6 were 9 times more likely to support conservation than those who did not receive formal education. Nonetheless, older respondents (at least 46 years old) were 11 times more likely to support conservation than younger respondents (15 to 25 years old).

Conclusions: In general, communities living around Chimit Kola understand the role of wildlife and are willing to support conservation. However, some have a negative attitude towards wildlife conservation. The negative attitude is linked to low educational status, poor understanding of the role of wildlife in nature, and economic loss due to livestock predation/crop damage. Thus, awareness campaigns and community livelihood issues should be incorporated into conservation planning.

Implications for conservation: Our result also highlights the importance of education, experience, and benefits in positively influencing community attitudes towards wildlife conservation. Thus, conservation management should consider raising community awareness about the role of wildlife conservation and enhancing the community’s active participation in conservation management.