Community Interviews

            Today was a relatively quiet day here at Moyo Hill. We only had one field trip in the morning and the rest of the afternoon to work on our baboon analysis papers. We went into different communities to interview families about what their opinions were on the human-wildlife conflict in the area. It was very interesting to hear their points of view on these issues that seem so foreign to us but are so prevalent in their everyday lives.

            Most families had been experiencing problems with the wildlife that drifts in and out of the nearby conservation areas. Elephants, buffalo, hyenas, and warthogs are the most popular animals seen on farms at night. Most of them come during the rainy seasons when the crops are plentiful and healthy. These families are mostly farmers of small areas of land and don’t have a high amount of income. Some of them were up to 10 people living off of what their farms can provide them with.

            Unfortunately, they see these species wildlife a lot and the economic problems the animals create are a huge waste of crops and money for these families. Most are growing corn, beans, wheat, and sunflowers – all of which are favorable food choices for the nearby wildlife – especially elephants. In addition, these families have livestock to take care of (cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, and sometimes pigs. Many told us how their livestock is mostly at risk of hyenas, which go after the domestic animals during the night.

            When asked about possible solutions to these wildlife conflicts, most said construction of better fences around town areas so that wildlife cannot charge through and onto their crops. A few suggested the government set up guards or other forms of security around the edges of the conservation areas so that wildlife could be stopped before it even tried to leave the protected areas. When wildlife enters their property, all most of them can do sis chase them away themselves and then report the incidents to the local government, which has a very poor response rate. All the interviewees said that they thought the government wasn't doing nearly enough to help them or farmers in general who are dealing with these problems. They want more communication and a better response rate to the reported wildlife conflicts.

            One of the biggest issues I found was that children are taught nothing about wildlife species or wildlife practices in school. We interviewed 5 families, three with children from ages 5 to 10, and each child said they hadn't learned anything about wildlife in school. Their only true encounters with the wildlife were during the times they were raiding their family’s farmland. When asked if they would want to learn about wildlife, most children said yes. Education is often overlooked as a solution to these types of problems about the environment, but in this case, it really could make a difference. Instead of seeing elephants and buffalo as threats and negative species, children could be learning about why they are important to keep in ecosystems and the benefits of having them around.

            Another interesting pattern turned out to be the difference in opinion about wildlife between men and women. The majority of the women of the households interviewed said they didn't like the wildlife because it made their lives more difficult. Men, however, recognized the importance of the wildlife and said they liked having it around – specifically the national parks – and would go there during their leisure time. Perhaps the difference of household chores and responsibilities makes it harder for women than men to get things done if wildlife continues to interfere. It was very interesting – definitely something I hadn't thought about before.

            But not all was depressing about the interviews. When asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, all the kids said they wanted to be teachers. There is hope for education in Tanzania! And maybe that education can someday include safe, efficient, wildlife practices. Until then, we’ll just have to keep informing people as much as possible about the benefits of wildlife!

            

Nicolette, Natalie, and Emily with our first interviewed family.

The largest family we interviewed. They have lived in the same place for over 35 years!

One of the smaller houses in the village.