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Perceptions of Farmers in Bangladesh to Asian Elephants (elephas Maximus)

A. H. M. Raihan Sarker
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Eivin Røskaft
Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

We explored the degree to which Bangladeshi farmers perceive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) as agricultural pests, as related to the type of farming and other demographic profile of the farmers. We analysed the size and cropping patterns of farms raided by wild elephants, the extent and nature of crop loss, the months and crop-raiding time; and the size of elephants’ herds that caused crop-raiding incidents. The average loss of entire crops increased with distance from the park up to 300 m and then decreased with greater the distance. The greatest loss due to crop raiding was associated with specific crops. Farmers incurred the greatest mean losses in terms of cost from like rice, vegetables, banana, and teak. The highest proportion of small losses occurred during the early evening, while the greatest financial losses occurred during late evening. Wild elephants raided crops throughout most of the year, but the greatest loss and cost were incurred during the monsoon season. The proportion of crops lost varied with the herd size of elephant responsible for crop-raiding and the duration of crop-raiding. Differences were found in the views of farmers regarding the perceptions towards elephant as pest. Considering crop-raiding elephant herd as pest has been given different views by the farmers based on their financial/comfortable status.

Keywords: Agricultural pests, Asian elephants, Crop raiding, Compensation, Demographic factor, Small-scale farmers, Large-scale farmers, Socio-economic factors

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Commodity: Animal

Objectives:

The major objective of this study is to explore the quantitative aspects of elephant pest problems. The nature and degree of the crop damage and the economic loss caused by wild elephants are examined in the context of several crop-raiding incidents recorded in the South-Eastern and Northern parts of Bangladesh. Our hypothesis is that crop-raiding incidents and farmers’ perceptions of wild elephants as an agricultural pest vary considerably with farm distances from the park boundary and the costs incurred from crop raiding.

Methodology:

.1 Study Area We worked in four IUCN-protected areas of Bangladesh (IUCN, 1994): the Teknaf Game Reserve, TGR (Category VI); the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, CWS (Category V); a forest reserve adjacent to the Dulahazara Safari Park in the South-East of Bangladesh, RF 2 (Category 1b); and a forest reserve that lies between the political border of Bangladesh and India, RF 1 (Category 1b). The Teknaf Game Reserve is situated approximately 48 km south of Cox’s Bazar district (21°04′ N, 92°09′ E), comprising 116.15 km2 and covering 10 blocks (i.e., Raikhong, Saplapur, Shilkhali, Maddyanilla, Dakhin-Nilla, Matabhanga, Rajachara, Ledha, Dumdumia and Teknaf) in three forest ranges (Whykong, Silkhali and Teknaf) of Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division. The game reserve is charged with managing and protecting wildlife in addition to increasing the populations of important wildlife species, especially wild elephants. Within this reserve, the capture of wildlife is illegal. The reserve was established in 1983 as a game reserve under the Wildlife Preservation Act (1974), and it is located near the political border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The current designation of game reserve does not provide adequate protection for the elephant habitats. Therefore, the re-designation of the area as a wildlife sanctuary was intended to provide a greater scope for protection. The game reserve comprises a linear hill range, gently sloping to rugged hills and cliffs running down the central part of the peninsula, with a North-South length of nearly 28 km and an East-West width of 3-5 km. A number of deep gullies and narrow valleys are crossed by numerous streams flowing down to the Naf River in the East and the Bay of Bengal in the West. Rainfall mainly occurs between May and October. During the study period (July 2008 to June 2009), the mean annual precipitation was 451 mm and the mean annual temperature was 26.5 °C, ranging from 21.7 °C to 30.3 °C. According to the population census (1991), the household and human population densities around the game reserve area were 60.9 per km² and 392.5 per km2, respectively (BBS, 2009). 2 Sampling and Data Collection We carried out fieldwork from July 2008 to June 2009, recording 46 incidents of crop raiding by wild elephants for quantitative analysis, of which 33 incidents occurred in both agricultural farms and home gardens, and the remaining 11 incidents were observed only in agricultural farms. We collected data using a questionnaire to understand the aspects of elephant crop raiding in the study areas. One person from each village (N = 99 villages) was selected to tell us about the presence of elephants in the village. We considered the following criteria for the selection of an informant: 1) the person must reside within 0.5 km of the park boundary, and 2) he or she must be able to inform the field assistants of the presence of elephants by mobile phone. 2.3 Data Analyses Data were analysed using SPSS v. 16.0 (SPSS, Chicago, USA). Differences in costs of crop losses across protected areas and farmer’s perceptions were explored using one-way ANOVA and chi-square (χ2) tests. The relationships between attitudes and socio-economic and demographic variables were explored with multivariate statistics. A stepwise logistic regression was used to analyse relationships among multiple variables with responses to the above pest question as the dependent variable.

Source of Information: Environment and Natural Resources Research; Vol. 4, No. 2; 2014 ISSN 1927-0488 E-ISSN 1927-0496

Article Link (Online Journal): doi:10.5539/enrr.v4n2p23 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/enrr.v4n2p23

Funding Source:

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Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Most farmers considered elephants to be agricultural pests, revealing that elephants are a source of social conflict. Thus, any plan for conservation without adequate provision for human interests is bound to fail (Sarker & Røskaft, 2011b). The conservation and appropriate management of the Asian elephant, however, requires that social conflicts be resolved, and therefore, policymakers seeking practical solutions to conservation issues must go well beyond the economic evaluation of such species. The long-term survival of wild elephants depends on the development of a scheme to compensate farmers adequately for the damages they suffer from elephant raids.

Knowledge Management: Journal