ABSTRACT

Understanding damages caused by wildlife is critical in developing strategies to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. We conducted 135 household surveys and group discussions in three villages around Bardia National Park, Nepal. Of the 222 total wildlife damage incidents in 2017, crop damage was the most frequent conflict (72%) followed by livestock depredation (24%). While elephants (Elephas maximus) and deer (Axis axis) were the main species implicated in crop loss, leopards (Panthera pardus) and tigers (Panthera tigris) were responsible for livestock depredation. Livestock depredation resulted in an average annual monetary loss of US$32.27 ($19.23-$442.30) per household. On average, each household lost 11% of their total annual potential crop production to wildlife damage. Poor households experienced noticeably disproportionate losses. Only 32% of respondents experiencing wildlife damage received compensation from the park. We recommend simplifying the compensation process and focusing on elephant and leopard damages while working to improve mitigation measures.

摘要

了解野生动物造成的损害对于制定缓解人类与野生动物冲突的战略至关重要。我们在尼泊尔巴迪亚国家公园周围的三个村庄进行了 135 次家庭调查和小组讨论。在 2017 年的 222 起野生动物破坏事件中，农作物破坏是最常见的冲突（72%），其次是牲畜掠夺（24%）。虽然大象 ( Elephas maximus ) 和鹿 ( Axis axis ) 是与作物损失有关的主要物种，但豹 ( Panthera pardus ) 和老虎 ( Panthera tigris )) 对牲畜掠夺负责。牲畜掠夺导致每户家庭平均每年损失 32.27 美元（19.23-442.30 美元）。平均而言，每个家庭因野生动物的破坏而损失了 11% 的年潜在作物总产量。贫困家庭遭受了明显不成比例的损失。只有 32% 的遭受野生动物破坏的受访者获得了公园的赔偿。我们建议简化赔偿流程，重点关注大象和豹子的损害，同时努力改进缓解措施。