TITLE:
Community Perspectives on the Use of Recycled Plastic Posts in Mitigating Livestock Predation in Amboseli Ecosystem, Kenya
AUTHORS:
David Owino Manoa, Tim Oloo
KEYWORDS:
Human-Wildlife Conflict, Predator-Proof Boma, Recycled Posts, Mitigation, Livestock
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.7 No.5,
May
24,
2016
ABSTRACT: In the last few decades, the impacts of human activities on ecosystem have rapidly increased resulting to detrimental ecosystem changes. Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is one of the greatest consequences of human impacts on the environment. Although HWC has been there for decades, its intensity seems to be growing with the spread of human settlements, changes in land use patterns and diminishing suitable natural habitats for wildlife. To mitigate HWC, various strategies have been devised and implemented. This study focused on predator-proof bomas (PPBs) approach that is ongoing in Amboseli ecosystem. The aim was to establish reasons behind the slow adoptions of the recycled plastics poles by owners of PPBs that were constructed using wooden posts between the years 2010 to 2013. Randomly selected 36 PPB homestead owners were interviewed and the physical structures of their PPBs assessed. Results revealed a positive relationship between PPB size and number of poles damaged; and a significant association between the damaged posts and the number of indigenous posts replaced in the three group ranches (X2 = 34.9331, df = 2, p