The trophy hunting industry in Tanzania plays a significant role in wildlife conservation as well as economic and community development. Trophy hunting has been conducted in Rungwa Game Reserve (RGR) for several decad...The trophy hunting industry in Tanzania plays a significant role in wildlife conservation as well as economic and community development. Trophy hunting has been conducted in Rungwa Game Reserve (RGR) for several decades;however, the trophy hunting opinions from the local communities living adjacent to the reserve are not well documented. This study aimed to assess the awareness and attitudes of local communities living adjacent to Rungwa Game Reserves toward trophy hunting. Furthermore, the study assessed factors that influenced the opinions of participants by using structural equation modeling. We used semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews in the three villages adjacent to RGR. The local communities are aware of existing hunting operations around the game reserves. The study found positive attitudes among local communities toward trophy hunting, only if local people accrue benefits from hunting operations. The community’s attitudes towards trophy hunting varied across household size and occupation. Education and household position had an indirect influence on the community’s attitude. Our findings suggest that socio-demographic variables are important to consider when assessing awareness and attitudes toward trophy hunting. Local communities are willing to support trophy hunting operations if the benefits obtained from hunting are significant and it can improve wildlife conservation and their livelihood. In conclusion, trophy hunting is important to local communities living adjacent to protected areas, and banning them may have a significant impact on their livelihood and wildlife conservation. Therefore, it is recommended that conservation policies and interventions consider the dual significance of trophy hunting, fostering strategies that balance socio-economic benefits for communities and wildlife conservation.展开更多
Trophy hunting has severe consequences on wild animals’ behaviors, which in return has implications for affecting wildlife populations. The Selous Game Reserve is a protected area in Tanzania that has been subjected ...Trophy hunting has severe consequences on wild animals’ behaviors, which in return has implications for affecting wildlife populations. The Selous Game Reserve is a protected area in Tanzania that has been subjected to commercial trophy hunting for decades, and information about the effects of trophy hunting on animals’ welfare is still scarce. The Flight Initiating Distance (FID) can be a good measure to evaluate the welfare of animals and the level of risk perception towards anthropogenic disturbances, including trophy hunting. The study used linear mixed models to assess the flight responses of twelve commonly hunted species in the Selous game reserve (S.G.R.). The study compared animal vigilance between species, vegetation types, and group size. The FID varied between species, with which more vigilance was observed in zebras, elands, wildebeests, and sable antelopes. The study found a significant influence of vegetation cover on individual species’ FID. Further, the study found a significant influence of group size on animals’ vigilance (L. M. M., 95% CI = 0.590 - 4.762), in which there was a decrease in FID with an increase in group size for wildebeests. At the same time, other species, such as buffaloes, eland, hartebeests, and zebras, had their FIDs increasing with the increase in group size. We conclude that the impact of trophy hunting on savannah ungulates varies between species, vegetation covers, and group size of individual species. Regulatory authorities should consider minimum approach distances by trophy hunters in different vegetation cover to reduce animal biological disturbances.展开更多
文摘The trophy hunting industry in Tanzania plays a significant role in wildlife conservation as well as economic and community development. Trophy hunting has been conducted in Rungwa Game Reserve (RGR) for several decades;however, the trophy hunting opinions from the local communities living adjacent to the reserve are not well documented. This study aimed to assess the awareness and attitudes of local communities living adjacent to Rungwa Game Reserves toward trophy hunting. Furthermore, the study assessed factors that influenced the opinions of participants by using structural equation modeling. We used semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews in the three villages adjacent to RGR. The local communities are aware of existing hunting operations around the game reserves. The study found positive attitudes among local communities toward trophy hunting, only if local people accrue benefits from hunting operations. The community’s attitudes towards trophy hunting varied across household size and occupation. Education and household position had an indirect influence on the community’s attitude. Our findings suggest that socio-demographic variables are important to consider when assessing awareness and attitudes toward trophy hunting. Local communities are willing to support trophy hunting operations if the benefits obtained from hunting are significant and it can improve wildlife conservation and their livelihood. In conclusion, trophy hunting is important to local communities living adjacent to protected areas, and banning them may have a significant impact on their livelihood and wildlife conservation. Therefore, it is recommended that conservation policies and interventions consider the dual significance of trophy hunting, fostering strategies that balance socio-economic benefits for communities and wildlife conservation.
文摘Trophy hunting has severe consequences on wild animals’ behaviors, which in return has implications for affecting wildlife populations. The Selous Game Reserve is a protected area in Tanzania that has been subjected to commercial trophy hunting for decades, and information about the effects of trophy hunting on animals’ welfare is still scarce. The Flight Initiating Distance (FID) can be a good measure to evaluate the welfare of animals and the level of risk perception towards anthropogenic disturbances, including trophy hunting. The study used linear mixed models to assess the flight responses of twelve commonly hunted species in the Selous game reserve (S.G.R.). The study compared animal vigilance between species, vegetation types, and group size. The FID varied between species, with which more vigilance was observed in zebras, elands, wildebeests, and sable antelopes. The study found a significant influence of vegetation cover on individual species’ FID. Further, the study found a significant influence of group size on animals’ vigilance (L. M. M., 95% CI = 0.590 - 4.762), in which there was a decrease in FID with an increase in group size for wildebeests. At the same time, other species, such as buffaloes, eland, hartebeests, and zebras, had their FIDs increasing with the increase in group size. We conclude that the impact of trophy hunting on savannah ungulates varies between species, vegetation covers, and group size of individual species. Regulatory authorities should consider minimum approach distances by trophy hunters in different vegetation cover to reduce animal biological disturbances.
