Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 23 No. 4 (2022)

Human-wildlife conflict in indigenous communities of the Nairi Awari Indigenous Territory of East Central Costa Rica

CAROLINA SÁENZ-BOLAÑOS (Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Apdo. 1350-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica)
TODD K. FULLER (Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, MA 01003-9285, USA)
LYNNETTE SIEVERT (Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 240 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003-9278, USA)
EDUARDO CARRILLO (Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Apdo. 1350-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Apr 2022

Abstract

Abstract. Sáenz-Bolaños C, Fuller TK, Sievert L, Carrillo E. 2022. Human-wildlife conflict in indigenous communities of the Nairi Awari Indigenous Territory of East Central Costa Rica. Biodiversitas 23: 2238-2244. Human-wildlife conflict is essential for conservation because it is necessary to maintain the balance of requirements needed by humans and wildlife. Indigenous territories are not exempt from interactions with wildlife, and in this study, we focus on one indigenous territory of the Cabécar Indigenous Group of Costa Rica called Nairi Awari. We wanted to know which are the most common wildlife species, which interactions with these species the Nairi Awari consider negative, and what are the possible solutions to these interactions. To do this, we administered 24 semi-structured questionnaires to indigenous people from March-August 2019. The results showed 16 species as “problematic animals”, the jaguar (Panthera onca) being the most common, followed by hawks. Of the six problem categories identified, predation on poultry was the most cited category, but it raised fewer negative feelings among respondents than some other problems. Possible solutions to pig or cow predation, problems which most maddened respondents, included improved management (48%), scaring animals (12%), and killing big cats (16%). It is important to understand these perceptions in order to address future management to benefit conservation and human welfare. In particular, there is potential to work in the long term to improve the management of domestic animals.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

biodiv

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology

Description

The Biodiversitas Journal was first published in 2000 by the Department of Biology, FMNS, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia, then in 2006 it was co-published by the Society for Indonesian Biodiversity and that department; since 2017 it was also hosted by Smujo. From 2003-2012 it was ...