Abstract Human-primate conflicts are a growing threat to conservation, particularly in low-income, densely populated regions like Ethiopia, where habitat fragmentation and crop raiding intensify tensions between expanding human populations and non-human primates. This study, conducted from January 2023 to August 2024 in Lamo Forest and surrounding fragmented forests of South-Central Ethiopia, aimed to investigate the population ecology of non-human primates and evaluate the dynamics of human-primate conflicts to inform coexistence strategies. The research used distance sampling techniques for primate density estimates and community surveys (individual interview and focus groups discussion) to assess human-primates conflict levels. The mean population density (individuals per km²) was 12. 81 ± 3. 4 for grivet monkeys, 11. 76 ± 2. 68 for Olive baboons, 10. 06 ± 2. 93 for mantled guereza, and 6. 23 ± 0. 9 for black colobus monkeys. Most respondents (48. 1%, n = 165) identified crop damage as the primary conflict cause and the least one was human attack (7. 6%, n = 26). The most damaged crops were Zea mays (29. 7%, n = 102) and Musa acuminate (17. 8%, n = 61). Over five years, total crop losses reached 18, 373 kg, valued at US 13, 852. 18, with an annual loss of 2, 770. 44 per village, or 8. 08 per household. Livestock losses totaled 139, 814, averaging an annual loss of 27, 962. 8, or 81. 52 per respondent. The primary strategy for preventing crop damage and livestock predation was physical guarding, employed by 35% of respondents (n = 120), followed by chasing (28%) and fencing (16%). Future research must conduct longitudinal monitoring of primate population trends, community-led surveys to map conflict hotspots and assess economic impacts on farmers, and pilot testing of targeted interventions to foster peaceful coexistence.
Dobamo et al. (Sat,) studied this question.