The University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Department of Zoology, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan.
Biodiversity and Management Plan Consultant, Lahore, Pakistan.
Braz J Biol. 2022 Jun 10;84:e261655. doi: 10.1590/1519-6984.261655. eCollection 2022.
Growing human population is a solemn risk to biodiversity at a global level. Massive anthropogenic pressure and invasion in the natural habitats initiated the human-wildlife conflict in rural areas. Present study aimed to assess human-wildlife conflict in Musk Deer National Park (MDNP) from 2013 to 2018. Results revealed an estimated 241784 nomadic and 5589 residential livestock heads grazed in different areas of MDNP during the summer season. A total of 126 heads were depredated by carnivores during the study period. Majority (n=39) of livestock heads were killed in May (n=29). Livestock depredation resulted in economic losses worth 3.115 million PKRs (25744 US$) to the herder community while farmers received 1.629 million PKRs (13466 US$) losses due to crop raiding. Most (64%) of the respondents believed human-wildlife conflict heightened due to scarcity of food or prey in the natural habitats of carnivores. Majority (92%) of the respondents did not like the presence of predators in MDNP. Loss compensation schemes could turn this negative attitude into the positive one and increase tolerance about the presence of carnivores in their vicinity. This study provides an insight into the human-wildlife conflict in MDNP and paves a way for understanding the conflict and conservation of carnivore species in the study area.
人口增长是对全球生物多样性的一个严重威胁。人类在自然栖息地的巨大人为压力和入侵引发了农村地区的人与野生动物冲突。本研究旨在评估 2013 年至 2018 年期间麝香鹿国家公园（MDNP）的人与野生动物冲突。研究结果显示，在夏季，估计有 241784 头游牧和 5589 头定居牲畜在 MDNP 的不同地区放牧。在研究期间，共有 126 个头被食肉动物捕食。大多数（n=39）牲畜头在 5 月（n=29）被杀死。牲畜被捕食导致牧民社区经济损失 311.5 万巴基斯坦卢比（25744 美元），而农民因庄稼被抢而损失 162.9 万巴基斯坦卢比（13466 美元）。大多数（64%）受访者认为，由于食肉动物自然栖息地食物或猎物的匮乏，人与野生动物的冲突加剧了。大多数（92%）受访者不喜欢 MDNP 中有捕食者。损失补偿计划可以将这种负面态度转变为积极态度，并增加对附近食肉动物存在的容忍度。本研究深入了解了 MDNP 的人与野生动物冲突，并为理解该地区的冲突和保护食肉动物物种铺平了道路。
