Between 12 and 52 percent of the world’s known species are threatened by extinction according the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Many of them live in close proximity to some of the poorest people in the world. This proximity pits the needs of these endangered animals against the needs of the planet’s most successful and aggressive competitor, humans.
Local Needs
In some instances local people are as motivated, or even more motivated than conservationists to protect the animals in their homeland, especially when they represent a valuable resource for food or commerce.
But for some communities, it comes down to protecting animals that are as much a part of a hostile environment as drought or fire. As with African villagers expected to protect an elephant herd that continually destroys their crops and leaves them hungry without a means of generating income. Or, when villagers living in or near a game reserve are told by authorities that they can’t hunt an animal because it is endangered even as they are struggling with hunger.
These are the human factors that well-meaning conservation programs don’t always take into account. Studies assert that the key to which side of the coin a given species lands on has everything to do with the needs and cultural beliefs of the people with which they must live. Understanding those cultural beliefs and needs is critical to the success of conservation efforts.
New Study Evaluates Relationship Between People and Animals
Biological anthropologist Melissa Remis, and cultural anthropologist Rebecca Hardin have been studying this dynamic in the Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve in the Central African Republic. The Dzanga-Sangha is home to western lowland gorillas and a gathering place for large groups of elephants.
The researchers looked at animal census information and interviewed park guards, tourists, local residents and others. Their results were published in the journal Conservation Biology. Remis, an antropology professor at Purdue University, and Hardin, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, assessed the number and type of encounters between humans and animals.
"Conservation isn't just about protecting wildlife, you also need to consider the human dimension such as how local hunting technologies or even migration can change how land is used," said Remis. "Through interviews with local residents and workers, we have a better understanding of how change, such as local economies and hunting technologies, affects conservation.”
Carefully Planned Development and Commerce Can Help Conservation
For example, light gaps in the forest caused by selective logging provide areas for new plant growth that help sustain the local antelope population. As the primary food source for most people in the area, their decline has led local residents to hunt gorillas.
"This is an example where logging at certain low levels could actually help people sustain higher yields for hunting [antelope]" Remis said. This would relieve hunting pressure on the Gorillas. "Again, this is where science would help with land management."
"This research reinforces the value of biological and cultural anthropologists working together," Remis said. "We devised a framework for transvaluation of wildlife species, which means the valuing of animals based on their ecological, economic and symbolic roles in human lives. Transvaluation provides insights that can be successfully integrated into more adaptive conservation policies.
"Better integration of basic research in the ecological and social domains would really improve conservation strategies and outcomes, but it also would improve goodwill for the communities that often feel resentment toward protecting wildlife," Remis said.
Successful Projects Reinforce the Idea of Integrated Approach
While the new work provides concrete data to support transvaluation, and emphasizes the value of a multi-disciplinary approach to conservation, the idea of integrating the needs of local people into plans for wildlife management is not totally new.
The World Wildlife Fund cites many stories of successful conservation programs that integrate human needs with those of endangered species and effectively help lift human populations out of poverty.
According to their fact-sheet on human-animal conflict, “The idea is to find solutions that lead to the mutually beneficial co-existence of people with wildlife. In most cases, the work has often led to people being more enthusiastic and supportive of conservation, and has demonstrated that people can live alongside wildlife while developing sustainable livelihoods.”
Kimbra Cutlip - Kimbra Cutlip is a feature writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Washington Post, Environment magazine, ...
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