Abstract Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) occurs when interactions between wildlife and people result in negative impacts on human social, economic, and cultural values, as well as on wildlife conservation. Although HWC has been widely studied across the developing world, context-specific evidence from community-managed forests in south-central Ethiopia remains limited. This study aimed to investigate HWC, its associated economic impacts, and local community attitudes toward wildlife conservation in the Tembaro Community Managed Forest. A survey was conducted using random sampling, involving 338 households from four villages. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions in December 2021 and analyzed using SPSS version 22. A total of 16 wildlife species were identified as problematic, with large carnivores primarily responsible for livestock losses and primates for crop damage. The results showed that 47% of respondents experienced both crop damage and livestock loss, 27% reported only crop damage, 13% experienced only livestock depredation, 11% reported threats to human safety or injuries, and 2% indicated no problems with wildlife. Livestock depredation was more prevalent during the dry season (61.4%) than in the wet season (38.6%). Attitudes toward wildlife conservation were predominantly negative (53.7%), while 29.5% were positive and 16.9% neutral. Mitigation measures included guarding, scarecrows, killing wildlife, the use of fire, and fencing were used by local people.To address these challenges, targeted strategies are recommended, including enhancing community education through locally tailored awareness programs, school outreach, and participatory training; improving community perceptions through stakeholder involvement in decision-making and benefit-sharing initiatives; implementing effective land-use planning with buffer zones; and establishing fair and transparent compensation schemes for losses.
Dobamo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.