Estimating Illegal Resource Use at a Ugandan Park with the Randomized Response Technique

Illegal resource use is a major threat to conservation in protected areas throughout the world, yet accurately estimating the number of poachers has been difficult. People violating the law seldom identify themselves for fear of retribution; thus quantifying illegal resource use is constrained by methodological problems. We evaluate the effectiveness of the randomized response technique (RRT) with a population that is partially illiterate to assess the extent of illegal resource use at Kibale National Park, Uganda. RRT is unique in allowing respondents to disclose sensitive information because the interviewer can not ascertain an individual's true response to the incriminating question. We found estimates of six types of illegal resource use when measured by RRT were significantly higher than when measured by direct questioning. This method offers a potentially powerful tool for understanding conservation threats in the developing world.