Research ArticleThreats to Gelada Baboon (Theropithecus gelada) aroundDebre Libanos Northwest Shewa Zone Ethiopia

Kassahun Abie1 and Afework Bekele2

1Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Wolkite UniversityPO Box 07 Wolkite Ethiopia2Department of Zoological Sciences College of Natural Sciences Addis Ababa University PO Box 1176 Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Correspondence should be addressed to Kassahun Abie kassahunabiewkueduet

Received 24 June 2016 Accepted 14 August 2016

Academic Editor Alexandre Sebbenn

Copyright copy 2016 K Abie and A Bekele This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons AttributionLicense which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properlycited

This study was aimed at determining threats to gelada baboon around Debre Libanos Northwest Shewa Zone Ethiopia This wasinvestigated based on questionnaire informant interview focus group discussion and direct observation methods from August2012 to March 2013 Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and responses were compared using chi-square test Habitatdestruction (95) livestock grazing (9167) expansion of agricultural land (8833) expansion of invasive species (5833) inthe area that reduces the availability and quality of gelada baboonrsquos food inappropriate investment activity (75) and depredation(6667) were the major threats to gelada baboons in the study area All these challenges could cause a short and long-term effecton gelada baboon population size and growth rate

1 Introduction

Themajor threats to the biodiversity and wildlife in Ethiopiaare unsustainable utilization of natural resources deforesta-tion forest fires land degradation habitat fragmentationexpansion of invasive species predation and overexploita-tion of species Among the threats posed to biodiversity andwildlife in Ethiopia population growth drives themost directinfluence and exacerbates the effects of others Populationgrowth translates into greater pressure on the land andresources to provide for immediate human needs therebythreatening the ultimate sustainability of the resources [1]As human population increases encroachment into naturalhabitat also increases resulting in a different form of human-wildlife conflicts [2]

Human-wildlife conflict is not restricted to a particulargeographical location rather it is common to all areas wherewildlife and human population share limited resources [3]The large areas of Ethiopian lowland and highlands arechanged into agricultural andpastoral landsThevegetation is

overused for fuel wood construction timber production andother purposes Increasing livestock and human populationpressure coupled with misappropriate land use has led tomassive destruction of wildlife habitat as well as a drasticreduction in numbers Hence wildlife resources of thecountry are now largely restricted to a few protected areasand inaccessible areas [4] Therefore wildlife managementis crucial for conservation of biodiversity including wildlifeWildlife management focuses on increasing net benefit forsociety through purposeful intervention The interventionscan be educational communication to influence beliefs andattitudes information training incentives and regulations toaffect human behavior and wildlife population control [1]

Even though the gelada baboon population is recorded inthe Northwest Shewa zone of Oromia Regional State little isknown about the threats to gelada baboon in the area Theintension of this research was to fill this gap and give relevantinformation about the challenges to gelada baboon conser-vation for local and regional administration and other con-servation organizations

Hindawi Publishing CorporationInternational Journal of BiodiversityVolume 2016 Article ID 3405717 7 pageshttpdxdoiorg10115520163405717

2 International Journal of Biodiversity

480000 482500 485000

480000 482500 485000

1077500

1075000

1072500

1077500

1075000

1072500

To Addis Ababa

Debre Libanos

To Bahir Dar

N

1 30000

0

0375

075

15

225 3

(km)

TownRoad

Counting blocksAba DinkonaAmanuelChagelSet DebreShinkurt MikaelTekle HaymanotWusha Gedel

Figure 1 Map of the study area

2 Material and Methods

21 Study Area The present investigation was conducted atDebre Libanos area which is located in the central highlandsof Ethiopia Its geographical coordinates are 9∘ 431015840 010158401015840 North38∘ 521015840 010158401015840 East Debre Libanos is found in the OromiaRegional State within the Northwest Shewa zonal adminis-tration (Figure 1) It is located 104 km away from the capitalcity Addis Ababa in the northwest direction and 16 km awayfrom the zone capital (Fiche) The area has extremely steepescarpments leading up to a strip of plateau It is found in thealtitude ranges between 2150 and 2650m asl

It has bimodal rainfall pattern ranging from 800mm to1200mm with five months of rain (MayndashSeptember) Thedry season is from December to March The annual averagemaximum and minimum temperature of the study area is23∘C and 15∘C respectively

22 Data Collection and Sampling Procedure The presentstudy was conducted from August 2012 to March 2013A preliminary survey was conducted in the study areain the first week of August 2012 During this period the

demographic socioeconomic and environmental conditionhas been overviewed Quantitative and qualitative data werecollected on the impact of the local people on the geladababoon around Debre Libanos area

Data about threats to gelada baboons was collected usinginformant interviews questionnaire survey field observa-tion and focused group discussion Data was strengthenedthrough the triangulation of both quantitative and qualitativedata The quantitative data was obtained by means of thequestionnaire survey whereas qualitative data was obtainedby means of the informant interviews field observationand focus group discussion Field observation was made tocollect evidences related to threats to gelada baboons in thestudy area Semistructured interview was carried out withkey informants Semistructured interviews are preferred tostandardize control and easily compare the responses toa question [5 6] One to one interview was employed toget important details about challenges gelada baboons facedQuestionnaire surveywas carried out to gain comparable datato allow for quantification For this matter semistructuredquestionnaire was prepared for the target respondents It was

International Journal of Biodiversity 3

developed to collect demographic and socioeconomic infor-mation and threats to gelada baboons in the study area

The sample size was determined by using a method thatestimates minimum sample size based on a number of accu-racy factors [7] Hence the following equation was used todetermine the sample size

119899 =((119875 (1 minus 119875)) (11986021198852 + (119875 (1 minus 119875)) 119873))

119877 (1)

where 119899 = sample size required119873 = number of people in thepopulation (which in this case is 4 with 800 households)119875 =estimated variance in population as decimal 03 for 30119860 =precision desired as decimal 095 for 95 119885 = at confidencelevel 196 for 95 confidence level 119877 = estimated responserate 08 for 80

Accordingly from the total households (4 800) a totalof 60 respondents were selected and the questionnaire wasadministered The respondents were selected purposefullybased on their ability awareness and knowledge to contributeto the overall research objectives The snowball samplingtechnique was used as an identification tool The question-naire was pretested by a small number of interviews beforeconducting the actual one among some groups of the popula-tion which is not included in themain sample group tomakeit more practical Focus group discussion tool is preferred asfirstly it helps the discussant to be free to move the conversa-tion in any direction of interest to explore a topic broadly andsecondly it helps the researcher explore a situation in a shortperiod of time and reinforce questionnaire data [8] Two FGDwere held for the whole study The group size in each discus-sion ranged within 9ndash12 people The first group was made upof 2 experts of natural resource management from Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office 3 experts from wildlifeand forest enterprise of the districts 2 experts from cultureand tourism office of the district and 2 people from kebelegovernmental administrators whereas the second group wasmade up of 5 elders of villages 3 females from females asso-ciation 2 local leaders and 1 person from the nearby schoolDiscussants were invited to discuss issues according to theirconvenience They have discussed changes problems andchallenges to conservation of gelada baboons

23 Data Analysis The data were pooled together and SPSSsoftware for Windows Evaluation Version 20 was used forstatistical analysis using descriptive statistics and chi-squaretest Statistical test used was two-tailed with 95 confidenceintervals The data collected from group discussion and keyinformants was summarized using a text analysismethod andis presented in a description fashion

3 Result and Discussion

Demographic information of respondents is shown in Table 1Out of the total respondents 567 were males and 433were females There was no significant difference in thenumber of male and female respondents (1205942 = 1067 df = 1119875 gt 005) The vast majority of respondents were illiterate(817) and few were literate (183)Themajority (833) of

Table 1 Description of demographic and socioeconomic character-istics of the respondents

Variables Category Frequency Percentage

Sex Male 34 5667Female 26 4333

Education Literate 49 8167Illiterate 11 1833

Marital statusMarried 46 7667Single 9 1500

Divorced 5 833

Occupation

Farmers 41 6833Government workers 10 1667

Traders 6 1000Students 3 500

the respondentsrsquo ages ranged from 31 to 60 years while 10and 67 of the respondents were less than 30 and olderthan 60 years respectively Out of the total respondents767 were married 15 were single and 83 were divorcedMost of the respondents were farmers (6833) followed bygovernment workers (1667) traders (10) and students(5)There is significant difference among occupations of therespondents (1205942 = 61733 df = 3 119875 lt 005)

Focus group discussion and interview with local com-munities local governmental and nongovernmental organi-zation officials of Debre Libanos area provided informationabout the attitude towards conservation and on wildlifeand impacts on gelada baboons of the area Among theinterviewed individuals 89 had negative attitude 62 hadpositive attitude and 48 had neutral attitude towards thewildlife including gelada baboons of the area During focusgroup discussion most discussants were not happy with theexistence of gelada baboons They considered these wild ani-mals as a limiting factor to improve their livelihood becauseof the crop raiding problem they cause for local people Theresult of this study contradicted with the work of Andarge[9] at Guassa community conservation area and Yihune [10]at Simien Mountains National Park

The presence of local people in the area leads to humanpressure in and around conservation areas and human-wildlife interactions are becoming more common [11] Manystudies in Africa revealed that local people consider mostmedium and large sized wild animals as a pests to theircrops whereas the attitude of local people towards wildlifeis an important element to ensure the long-term survival ofwildlife resources [21]

Themajor identified threats that affect the status of geladababoons in the study area were habitat destruction livestockgrazing expansion of agricultural land expansion of invasivespecies depredation and inappropriate investment Thereis insignificant difference among the threats that affect thegelada baboon population in the study area (1205942 = 7872 df =5 119875 gt 005) The respondentsrsquo result on the threats of geladababoons is presented in Table 2

Habitat destruction (95) was recorded as the majorchallenge for existence of gelada baboons in the study area

4 International Journal of Biodiversity

Figure 2 Local people cutting trees and collecting firewood

Table 2 Respondentsrsquo result on threats to gelada baboons

Threat to gelada baboons Frequency PercentageHabitat destruction 57 95Livestock grazing 55 9167Expansion of agricultural land 50 8833Inappropriate investment 45 7500Depredation 40 6667Expansion of invasive species 35 5833

The increase in human population has resulted in moredemand for food farmland and other natural products Thishas also resulted in constriction of ranges and led to changeon composition and structure of the habitat [12] In thetropical developing countries protected areas are continuallyunder threat from growing human population [13] Localpeople of the study area occupied the new land for differentpurposes Cutting of trees for fuelwood charcoal productionconstruction of house and fence and timber production werecommon practices in the entire study area Many local peoplewere observed when they were cutting and collecting fire-wood from the bushland habitat of the study area (Figure 2)In developing countries like Ethiopia 75 of deforestationand habitat loss was caused by local people for fuel wood col-lection purpose [14] Tree cutting resulted in deterioration ofthe vegetation cover This minimizes the feeding ground andmating site of the wild animals [15]

Respondents (9167) revealed that livestock grazing wasa major challenge for gelada baboons Livestock of the localpeople graze and competewith the gelada baboons (Figure 3)

Figure 3 Domestic animals competing with gelada baboons

The most commonly observed domestic animals in the studyarea were cows oxen sheep goats donkeys and mules Thepresence of excess number of livestock causes direct compe-tition for food with gelada baboons and other wildlife in thearea (Figure 3) High number of cattle and scarcity of grazingland made the local people use even difficult cliffy area forgrazing and agriculture This has been observed during fieldobservation in the study area and confirmed by the localpeople during focus group discussion The same result wassupported by Aramde et al 2011 [16] and Chanie and Tes-faye 2015 [17] where livestock grazing deteriorates wildlifehabitats and diminishes the population size Frequent andextreme disturbances can radically alter an ecosystem andchange it to a different state Persistent overgrazing can makethe habitat bare [18]

8833 of the respondents reported agricultural landexpansion asmajor threat to gelada baboonsThe local peoplefarm mainly maize teff and other cereal crops People culti-vated crops by using even the infertile and cliffy areas whichare also habitat for gelada baboons Gelada baboons moved

International Journal of Biodiversity 5

to the farmers land and consume these crops So the localpeople chased gelada baboons away from their farmland byshouting whistling and throwing Conflict becomes moreserious in tropics and developing countries where agricultureand livestock rearing are important parts of local communi-ties livelihood [19 20] Human population growth increasesdemand for land and it results in restriction of animals tosmall areas and direct competition with local communities[21]

75 of the respondents reported inappropriate invest-ment as threat to gelada baboons The study area has veryattractive landscape with different natural and man-madetourism potentials such as Debis cave mountainous natureessential for paragliding wild animals including the endemicgelada baboon the historical Debre Libanos monasteryand other tourist attractions The presence of these tourismpotentials made the area ideal for hotel and tourism develop-ment However cattle and bee rearing within the habitat ofgelada baboons is practiced by investors which was unpro-ductive and also threatened the gelada baboon populationStudies by Ayalew 2009 [22] and Beyene 2010 [23] alsoreported that agricultural expansion and habitat degradationdue to investment and developmental activities threaten thepopulation of gelada baboon

Depredation (6667) was reported as a threat to geladababoons by respondents The natural enemies of geladababoons are leopard hyena jackals servals and foxes thatare present in the area Even though predation is a naturalphenomenon sometimes it becomes a major threat for ani-mals when its rate and frequency are unbalanced The otherthreat for gelada baboons of the study areawas domestic dogsThey were observed chasing infant gelada baboons duringthe field observation This phenomenon was also revealed bythe discussants of the focus group discussion This will causestress and instability in the population and in the long runthis may reduce the population size and growth rate Thedynamics of predation whether by natural predators or byhumans affects prey species [24]Therefore the conservationthreat to a species particularly due to predation depends onthe ecosystem in which it is found

Expansion of invasive species (5833) especially Euca-lyptus globulus is a major problem in the study areas Euca-lyptus globulus is a cash crop for local people of the study areaThey plant this species to get money fuelwood and otherbenefits where its area coverage is increasing from time totime Due to the aggressive nature of this species other plantspecies which are source of food for gelada baboons andother herbivores could not grow sustainably in the study areaThe discussants reported this seriously Exotic species are ofspecial management concern because they can threaten otherspecies Invasive species could cause the extinction of numer-ous mammals birds and invertebrates [25 26] Overdis-turbances are often the underlying causes for invasions ofexotic species that can take over andmaintain new states [27]Invasive species can result in indirect interactions throughhyperpredation apparent competition and mesopredatorrelease These can produce unexpected consequences

Generally overgrazing habitat destruction and agri-cultural land expansion inappropriate investment and

depredation were reported as primary threats to geladababoons These human activities resulted in habitat distur-bance and decrease in abundance and diversity of wildlife dueto destruction of habitat and competition on foraging Simi-larly a study of Ashenafi and Leader-Williams [28] reportedthat livestock grazing from nearby villages and local commu-nity used firewood more frequently in protected areas Themajor problem facing protected areas today is the increasein human settlement of adjacent lands and the unauthorizedharvesting of resources within the protected areas in Africa(Newmark et al) [29] The heaviest impact on primates islikely to be human activities Construction and the expansionof cities followed by the rapid growth of economy of manycountries make it difficult for the species [20] Many primatesare facing a variety of anthropogenic problems due to defor-estation and extensive use of their habitats for agriculturalactivities and settlement [30]

4 Conclusion and Recommendation

Habitats of the wildlife are destructed for agriculture thisresulted in lack of enough space food and other resourcesfor survival of wildlife Gelada baboons and local commu-nities use the same habitat and compete for resources Therequirements of wildlife overlap with the people in the areaThis causes conflict between local people and gelada baboonsGelada baboons consumed the crop of local people and localpeople also chased gelada baboons This problem becamesevere during the wet season in which the local peoplesrsquo landwas covered with cash crops As a result the attitude of mostof the local people towards gelada baboons is negative Soprotection and safeguarding of gelada baboon population inthe study area demand a great effort

Fire wood collection commercial timber productionagricultural and grazing land expansion and illegal hunt-ing have significant impact on accelerating degradation ofhabitats and cause competition between wild and domesticanimals for resourcesThese problems are highly affecting thestatus of gelada baboons in Debre Libanos

Recommendations The following points are suggested toreduce the problems and conserve the population of geladababoon properly

(i) Effective conservation measures should be takenthrough an extension work to create public awarenessamong the local community This will help the localpeople to appreciate the benefits of natural resourcesIt is important to integrate the use of full indige-nous knowledge and modern conservation systemsto develop a deeper understanding of the species andtheir ecosystems

(ii) Local people should participate in the process ofresolving the existing challenges in order to fosterpositive outlook towards wildlife

(iii) Implementation of rural development should bedesigned tomove the local people to the buffer zone toreduce human activities in habitats of wildlife and the

6 International Journal of Biodiversity

movement of wildlife from their habitats to farminglands

(iv) Livestock grazing and other human activities thatdegrade the natural habitats of wildlife should bestrictly reduced by developing implementing rulesand regulations

(v) Stakeholders should work together to reduce humanencroaching in wildlife habitats and relocate agricul-tural activities out of wildlife ranges

(vi) Debre Libanos area has great potential for tourismInvestors should be encouraged to open hotels res-taurants and lodges in the area Brochures postersand maps should be prepared to promote potentialtourist attraction in order to generate money fromtourists

Competing Interests

The authors do not declare any conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Addis Ababa UniversityMaddaWalabuUniversity andHorn ofAfrica Regional Envi-ronmental Center and Network (HoA-RECN) for financialsupport The authors are also grateful to the local communi-ties of Debre Libanos and Derbre-Libanos District Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office for providing necessaryinformation to accomplish this work

References

[1] IBC Ethiopia Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118119 Assess-ment IBC Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2008

[2] C M Hill ldquoConflict of interest between people and baboonscrop raiding in Ugandardquo International Journal of Primatologyvol 21 no 2 pp 299ndash315 2000

[3] MOOgada RWoodroffeNOOguge andLG Frank ldquoLim-iting depredation by African carnivores the role of livestockhusbandryrdquo Conservation Biology vol 17 no 6 pp 1521ndash15302003

[4] J C Hillman Ethiopia Compendium of Wildlife Conserva-tion Information Volume I NYZS and EWCO Addis AbabaEthiopia 1993

[5] T L Burton and G E Cherry Social Research Techniques forPlanners George Allen a Unwin London UK 1970

[6] M Finn M Elliott-White and MWalton Tourism and LeisureResearch Method Longham London UK 2000

[7] J Watson How to Determine a Sample Size Penen State Coop-erative Extension University Park Pa USA 2001 httpucanredusitesCEprogramevaluationfiles143304pdf

[8] W M K Trochin The Research Methods Knowledge BaseCornell University Press New York NY USA 2003

[9] E Andarge Human-wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian Wolf(Canis simensis) and gelada baboon (Theropithicus gelada)around Guassa community conservation area North ShoaEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[10] M Yihune Human-wildlife (Gelada Baboon and EthiopianWolf) conflict in and around the SimienMountainsNational Park[MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia2006

[11] G Corti E Fanning S Gordon R J Hinde and R K B Jenk-ins ldquoObservations on the puku antelope (Kobus vardoni Living-stone 1857) in the Kilombero Valley Tanzaniardquo African Journalof Ecology vol 40 no 2 pp 197ndash200 2002

[12] A J Meduna A A Ogunjinmi and S A Onadeko ldquoBio-diversity conservation problems and their implications onecotourism in Kainji LakeNational Park Nigeriardquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development vol 10 no 4 pp 59ndash732009

[13] G Wynne Conservation Policy and Politics Oxford UniversityPress New York NY USA 1998

[14] FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations Rome Italy 2000

[15] T Kumssa and A Bekele ldquoHuman wildlife conflict in senkeleSwaynersquos hartebeest sanctuary Ethiopiardquo Journal of Experimen-tal Biology and Agricultural Sciences vol 1 no 1 2013

[16] F Aramde M Girma and B Tsegaye ldquoSpatial distribution andhabitat preferences of selected large mammalian species in theNechsar National Park (NSNP) Ethiopiardquo Nature and Sciencevol 9 no 3 pp 80ndash90 2011

[17] S Chanie and D Tesfaye ldquoThreats of biodiversity conservationand ecotourism activities in Nechsar National Park EthiopiardquoInternational Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation vol 7 no3 pp 130ndash139 2015

[18] X B Wu T L Thurow and S G Whisenant ldquoFragmentationand changes in hydrologic function of tiger bush landscapessouth-westNigerrdquo Journal of Ecology vol 88 no 5 pp 790ndash8002000

[19] T A Messmer ldquoThe emergence of human-wildlife conflictmanagement turning challenges into opportunitiesrdquo Interna-tional Biodeterioration amp Biodegradation vol 45 no 3-4 pp97ndash102 2000

[20] Y Hamada S Malaivijitnond P Kingsada and P BounnamldquoThedistribution and present status of primates in theNorthernRegion of Lao PDRrdquo Natural History Journal of ChulalongkornUniversity vol 7 pp 161ndash191 2007

[21] K S Siex andT T Struhsaker ldquoColobusmonkey and coconutsiastudy of perceived human-wildlife conflictsrdquo Journal of AppliedEcology vol 36 no 6 pp 1009ndash1020 1999

[22] Y Ayalew Population status distribution and ecology of geladababoon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego South WolloDessie Ethiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University AddisAbabaEthiopia 2009

[23] H Beyene Population estimate and structure of the geladababoon in the Guassa community conservation area centralEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[24] F Courchamp M Langlais and G Sugihara ldquoCats protectingbirds modelling the mesopredator release effectrdquo Journal ofAnimal Ecology vol 68 no 2 pp 282ndash292 1999

[25] M Serena Reintroduction Biology of Australian and NewZealand Fauna Surrey Beatty amp Sons Chipping Norton Aus-tralia 1994

[26] I A E Atkinson ldquoIntroduced mammals and models for resto-rationrdquo Biological Conservation vol 99 no 1 pp 81ndash96 2001

[27] P M Vitousek C M DrsquoAntonio L L Loope and R West-brooks ldquoBiological invasions as global environmental changerdquoAmerican Scientist vol 84 no 5 pp 468ndash478 1996

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

2 International Journal of Biodiversity

480000 482500 485000

480000 482500 485000

1077500

1075000

1072500

1077500

1075000

1072500

To Addis Ababa

Debre Libanos

To Bahir Dar

N

1 30000

0

0375

075

15

225 3

(km)

TownRoad

Counting blocksAba DinkonaAmanuelChagelSet DebreShinkurt MikaelTekle HaymanotWusha Gedel

Figure 1 Map of the study area

2 Material and Methods

21 Study Area The present investigation was conducted atDebre Libanos area which is located in the central highlandsof Ethiopia Its geographical coordinates are 9∘ 431015840 010158401015840 North38∘ 521015840 010158401015840 East Debre Libanos is found in the OromiaRegional State within the Northwest Shewa zonal adminis-tration (Figure 1) It is located 104 km away from the capitalcity Addis Ababa in the northwest direction and 16 km awayfrom the zone capital (Fiche) The area has extremely steepescarpments leading up to a strip of plateau It is found in thealtitude ranges between 2150 and 2650m asl

It has bimodal rainfall pattern ranging from 800mm to1200mm with five months of rain (MayndashSeptember) Thedry season is from December to March The annual averagemaximum and minimum temperature of the study area is23∘C and 15∘C respectively

22 Data Collection and Sampling Procedure The presentstudy was conducted from August 2012 to March 2013A preliminary survey was conducted in the study areain the first week of August 2012 During this period the

demographic socioeconomic and environmental conditionhas been overviewed Quantitative and qualitative data werecollected on the impact of the local people on the geladababoon around Debre Libanos area

Data about threats to gelada baboons was collected usinginformant interviews questionnaire survey field observa-tion and focused group discussion Data was strengthenedthrough the triangulation of both quantitative and qualitativedata The quantitative data was obtained by means of thequestionnaire survey whereas qualitative data was obtainedby means of the informant interviews field observationand focus group discussion Field observation was made tocollect evidences related to threats to gelada baboons in thestudy area Semistructured interview was carried out withkey informants Semistructured interviews are preferred tostandardize control and easily compare the responses toa question [5 6] One to one interview was employed toget important details about challenges gelada baboons facedQuestionnaire surveywas carried out to gain comparable datato allow for quantification For this matter semistructuredquestionnaire was prepared for the target respondents It was

International Journal of Biodiversity 3

developed to collect demographic and socioeconomic infor-mation and threats to gelada baboons in the study area

The sample size was determined by using a method thatestimates minimum sample size based on a number of accu-racy factors [7] Hence the following equation was used todetermine the sample size

119899 =((119875 (1 minus 119875)) (11986021198852 + (119875 (1 minus 119875)) 119873))

119877 (1)

where 119899 = sample size required119873 = number of people in thepopulation (which in this case is 4 with 800 households)119875 =estimated variance in population as decimal 03 for 30119860 =precision desired as decimal 095 for 95 119885 = at confidencelevel 196 for 95 confidence level 119877 = estimated responserate 08 for 80

Accordingly from the total households (4 800) a totalof 60 respondents were selected and the questionnaire wasadministered The respondents were selected purposefullybased on their ability awareness and knowledge to contributeto the overall research objectives The snowball samplingtechnique was used as an identification tool The question-naire was pretested by a small number of interviews beforeconducting the actual one among some groups of the popula-tion which is not included in themain sample group tomakeit more practical Focus group discussion tool is preferred asfirstly it helps the discussant to be free to move the conversa-tion in any direction of interest to explore a topic broadly andsecondly it helps the researcher explore a situation in a shortperiod of time and reinforce questionnaire data [8] Two FGDwere held for the whole study The group size in each discus-sion ranged within 9ndash12 people The first group was made upof 2 experts of natural resource management from Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office 3 experts from wildlifeand forest enterprise of the districts 2 experts from cultureand tourism office of the district and 2 people from kebelegovernmental administrators whereas the second group wasmade up of 5 elders of villages 3 females from females asso-ciation 2 local leaders and 1 person from the nearby schoolDiscussants were invited to discuss issues according to theirconvenience They have discussed changes problems andchallenges to conservation of gelada baboons

23 Data Analysis The data were pooled together and SPSSsoftware for Windows Evaluation Version 20 was used forstatistical analysis using descriptive statistics and chi-squaretest Statistical test used was two-tailed with 95 confidenceintervals The data collected from group discussion and keyinformants was summarized using a text analysismethod andis presented in a description fashion

3 Result and Discussion

Demographic information of respondents is shown in Table 1Out of the total respondents 567 were males and 433were females There was no significant difference in thenumber of male and female respondents (1205942 = 1067 df = 1119875 gt 005) The vast majority of respondents were illiterate(817) and few were literate (183)Themajority (833) of

Table 1 Description of demographic and socioeconomic character-istics of the respondents

Variables Category Frequency Percentage

Sex Male 34 5667Female 26 4333

Education Literate 49 8167Illiterate 11 1833

Marital statusMarried 46 7667Single 9 1500

Divorced 5 833

Occupation

Farmers 41 6833Government workers 10 1667

Traders 6 1000Students 3 500

the respondentsrsquo ages ranged from 31 to 60 years while 10and 67 of the respondents were less than 30 and olderthan 60 years respectively Out of the total respondents767 were married 15 were single and 83 were divorcedMost of the respondents were farmers (6833) followed bygovernment workers (1667) traders (10) and students(5)There is significant difference among occupations of therespondents (1205942 = 61733 df = 3 119875 lt 005)

Focus group discussion and interview with local com-munities local governmental and nongovernmental organi-zation officials of Debre Libanos area provided informationabout the attitude towards conservation and on wildlifeand impacts on gelada baboons of the area Among theinterviewed individuals 89 had negative attitude 62 hadpositive attitude and 48 had neutral attitude towards thewildlife including gelada baboons of the area During focusgroup discussion most discussants were not happy with theexistence of gelada baboons They considered these wild ani-mals as a limiting factor to improve their livelihood becauseof the crop raiding problem they cause for local people Theresult of this study contradicted with the work of Andarge[9] at Guassa community conservation area and Yihune [10]at Simien Mountains National Park

The presence of local people in the area leads to humanpressure in and around conservation areas and human-wildlife interactions are becoming more common [11] Manystudies in Africa revealed that local people consider mostmedium and large sized wild animals as a pests to theircrops whereas the attitude of local people towards wildlifeis an important element to ensure the long-term survival ofwildlife resources [21]

Themajor identified threats that affect the status of geladababoons in the study area were habitat destruction livestockgrazing expansion of agricultural land expansion of invasivespecies depredation and inappropriate investment Thereis insignificant difference among the threats that affect thegelada baboon population in the study area (1205942 = 7872 df =5 119875 gt 005) The respondentsrsquo result on the threats of geladababoons is presented in Table 2

Habitat destruction (95) was recorded as the majorchallenge for existence of gelada baboons in the study area

4 International Journal of Biodiversity

Figure 2 Local people cutting trees and collecting firewood

Table 2 Respondentsrsquo result on threats to gelada baboons

Threat to gelada baboons Frequency PercentageHabitat destruction 57 95Livestock grazing 55 9167Expansion of agricultural land 50 8833Inappropriate investment 45 7500Depredation 40 6667Expansion of invasive species 35 5833

The increase in human population has resulted in moredemand for food farmland and other natural products Thishas also resulted in constriction of ranges and led to changeon composition and structure of the habitat [12] In thetropical developing countries protected areas are continuallyunder threat from growing human population [13] Localpeople of the study area occupied the new land for differentpurposes Cutting of trees for fuelwood charcoal productionconstruction of house and fence and timber production werecommon practices in the entire study area Many local peoplewere observed when they were cutting and collecting fire-wood from the bushland habitat of the study area (Figure 2)In developing countries like Ethiopia 75 of deforestationand habitat loss was caused by local people for fuel wood col-lection purpose [14] Tree cutting resulted in deterioration ofthe vegetation cover This minimizes the feeding ground andmating site of the wild animals [15]

Respondents (9167) revealed that livestock grazing wasa major challenge for gelada baboons Livestock of the localpeople graze and competewith the gelada baboons (Figure 3)

Figure 3 Domestic animals competing with gelada baboons

The most commonly observed domestic animals in the studyarea were cows oxen sheep goats donkeys and mules Thepresence of excess number of livestock causes direct compe-tition for food with gelada baboons and other wildlife in thearea (Figure 3) High number of cattle and scarcity of grazingland made the local people use even difficult cliffy area forgrazing and agriculture This has been observed during fieldobservation in the study area and confirmed by the localpeople during focus group discussion The same result wassupported by Aramde et al 2011 [16] and Chanie and Tes-faye 2015 [17] where livestock grazing deteriorates wildlifehabitats and diminishes the population size Frequent andextreme disturbances can radically alter an ecosystem andchange it to a different state Persistent overgrazing can makethe habitat bare [18]

8833 of the respondents reported agricultural landexpansion asmajor threat to gelada baboonsThe local peoplefarm mainly maize teff and other cereal crops People culti-vated crops by using even the infertile and cliffy areas whichare also habitat for gelada baboons Gelada baboons moved

International Journal of Biodiversity 5

to the farmers land and consume these crops So the localpeople chased gelada baboons away from their farmland byshouting whistling and throwing Conflict becomes moreserious in tropics and developing countries where agricultureand livestock rearing are important parts of local communi-ties livelihood [19 20] Human population growth increasesdemand for land and it results in restriction of animals tosmall areas and direct competition with local communities[21]

75 of the respondents reported inappropriate invest-ment as threat to gelada baboons The study area has veryattractive landscape with different natural and man-madetourism potentials such as Debis cave mountainous natureessential for paragliding wild animals including the endemicgelada baboon the historical Debre Libanos monasteryand other tourist attractions The presence of these tourismpotentials made the area ideal for hotel and tourism develop-ment However cattle and bee rearing within the habitat ofgelada baboons is practiced by investors which was unpro-ductive and also threatened the gelada baboon populationStudies by Ayalew 2009 [22] and Beyene 2010 [23] alsoreported that agricultural expansion and habitat degradationdue to investment and developmental activities threaten thepopulation of gelada baboon

Depredation (6667) was reported as a threat to geladababoons by respondents The natural enemies of geladababoons are leopard hyena jackals servals and foxes thatare present in the area Even though predation is a naturalphenomenon sometimes it becomes a major threat for ani-mals when its rate and frequency are unbalanced The otherthreat for gelada baboons of the study areawas domestic dogsThey were observed chasing infant gelada baboons duringthe field observation This phenomenon was also revealed bythe discussants of the focus group discussion This will causestress and instability in the population and in the long runthis may reduce the population size and growth rate Thedynamics of predation whether by natural predators or byhumans affects prey species [24]Therefore the conservationthreat to a species particularly due to predation depends onthe ecosystem in which it is found

Expansion of invasive species (5833) especially Euca-lyptus globulus is a major problem in the study areas Euca-lyptus globulus is a cash crop for local people of the study areaThey plant this species to get money fuelwood and otherbenefits where its area coverage is increasing from time totime Due to the aggressive nature of this species other plantspecies which are source of food for gelada baboons andother herbivores could not grow sustainably in the study areaThe discussants reported this seriously Exotic species are ofspecial management concern because they can threaten otherspecies Invasive species could cause the extinction of numer-ous mammals birds and invertebrates [25 26] Overdis-turbances are often the underlying causes for invasions ofexotic species that can take over andmaintain new states [27]Invasive species can result in indirect interactions throughhyperpredation apparent competition and mesopredatorrelease These can produce unexpected consequences

Generally overgrazing habitat destruction and agri-cultural land expansion inappropriate investment and

depredation were reported as primary threats to geladababoons These human activities resulted in habitat distur-bance and decrease in abundance and diversity of wildlife dueto destruction of habitat and competition on foraging Simi-larly a study of Ashenafi and Leader-Williams [28] reportedthat livestock grazing from nearby villages and local commu-nity used firewood more frequently in protected areas Themajor problem facing protected areas today is the increasein human settlement of adjacent lands and the unauthorizedharvesting of resources within the protected areas in Africa(Newmark et al) [29] The heaviest impact on primates islikely to be human activities Construction and the expansionof cities followed by the rapid growth of economy of manycountries make it difficult for the species [20] Many primatesare facing a variety of anthropogenic problems due to defor-estation and extensive use of their habitats for agriculturalactivities and settlement [30]

4 Conclusion and Recommendation

Habitats of the wildlife are destructed for agriculture thisresulted in lack of enough space food and other resourcesfor survival of wildlife Gelada baboons and local commu-nities use the same habitat and compete for resources Therequirements of wildlife overlap with the people in the areaThis causes conflict between local people and gelada baboonsGelada baboons consumed the crop of local people and localpeople also chased gelada baboons This problem becamesevere during the wet season in which the local peoplesrsquo landwas covered with cash crops As a result the attitude of mostof the local people towards gelada baboons is negative Soprotection and safeguarding of gelada baboon population inthe study area demand a great effort

Fire wood collection commercial timber productionagricultural and grazing land expansion and illegal hunt-ing have significant impact on accelerating degradation ofhabitats and cause competition between wild and domesticanimals for resourcesThese problems are highly affecting thestatus of gelada baboons in Debre Libanos

Recommendations The following points are suggested toreduce the problems and conserve the population of geladababoon properly

(i) Effective conservation measures should be takenthrough an extension work to create public awarenessamong the local community This will help the localpeople to appreciate the benefits of natural resourcesIt is important to integrate the use of full indige-nous knowledge and modern conservation systemsto develop a deeper understanding of the species andtheir ecosystems

(ii) Local people should participate in the process ofresolving the existing challenges in order to fosterpositive outlook towards wildlife

(iii) Implementation of rural development should bedesigned tomove the local people to the buffer zone toreduce human activities in habitats of wildlife and the

6 International Journal of Biodiversity

movement of wildlife from their habitats to farminglands

(iv) Livestock grazing and other human activities thatdegrade the natural habitats of wildlife should bestrictly reduced by developing implementing rulesand regulations

(v) Stakeholders should work together to reduce humanencroaching in wildlife habitats and relocate agricul-tural activities out of wildlife ranges

(vi) Debre Libanos area has great potential for tourismInvestors should be encouraged to open hotels res-taurants and lodges in the area Brochures postersand maps should be prepared to promote potentialtourist attraction in order to generate money fromtourists

Competing Interests

The authors do not declare any conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Addis Ababa UniversityMaddaWalabuUniversity andHorn ofAfrica Regional Envi-ronmental Center and Network (HoA-RECN) for financialsupport The authors are also grateful to the local communi-ties of Debre Libanos and Derbre-Libanos District Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office for providing necessaryinformation to accomplish this work

References

[1] IBC Ethiopia Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118119 Assess-ment IBC Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2008

[2] C M Hill ldquoConflict of interest between people and baboonscrop raiding in Ugandardquo International Journal of Primatologyvol 21 no 2 pp 299ndash315 2000

[3] MOOgada RWoodroffeNOOguge andLG Frank ldquoLim-iting depredation by African carnivores the role of livestockhusbandryrdquo Conservation Biology vol 17 no 6 pp 1521ndash15302003

[4] J C Hillman Ethiopia Compendium of Wildlife Conserva-tion Information Volume I NYZS and EWCO Addis AbabaEthiopia 1993

[5] T L Burton and G E Cherry Social Research Techniques forPlanners George Allen a Unwin London UK 1970

[6] M Finn M Elliott-White and MWalton Tourism and LeisureResearch Method Longham London UK 2000

[7] J Watson How to Determine a Sample Size Penen State Coop-erative Extension University Park Pa USA 2001 httpucanredusitesCEprogramevaluationfiles143304pdf

[8] W M K Trochin The Research Methods Knowledge BaseCornell University Press New York NY USA 2003

[9] E Andarge Human-wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian Wolf(Canis simensis) and gelada baboon (Theropithicus gelada)around Guassa community conservation area North ShoaEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[10] M Yihune Human-wildlife (Gelada Baboon and EthiopianWolf) conflict in and around the SimienMountainsNational Park[MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia2006

[11] G Corti E Fanning S Gordon R J Hinde and R K B Jenk-ins ldquoObservations on the puku antelope (Kobus vardoni Living-stone 1857) in the Kilombero Valley Tanzaniardquo African Journalof Ecology vol 40 no 2 pp 197ndash200 2002

[12] A J Meduna A A Ogunjinmi and S A Onadeko ldquoBio-diversity conservation problems and their implications onecotourism in Kainji LakeNational Park Nigeriardquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development vol 10 no 4 pp 59ndash732009

[13] G Wynne Conservation Policy and Politics Oxford UniversityPress New York NY USA 1998

[14] FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations Rome Italy 2000

[15] T Kumssa and A Bekele ldquoHuman wildlife conflict in senkeleSwaynersquos hartebeest sanctuary Ethiopiardquo Journal of Experimen-tal Biology and Agricultural Sciences vol 1 no 1 2013

[16] F Aramde M Girma and B Tsegaye ldquoSpatial distribution andhabitat preferences of selected large mammalian species in theNechsar National Park (NSNP) Ethiopiardquo Nature and Sciencevol 9 no 3 pp 80ndash90 2011

[17] S Chanie and D Tesfaye ldquoThreats of biodiversity conservationand ecotourism activities in Nechsar National Park EthiopiardquoInternational Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation vol 7 no3 pp 130ndash139 2015

[18] X B Wu T L Thurow and S G Whisenant ldquoFragmentationand changes in hydrologic function of tiger bush landscapessouth-westNigerrdquo Journal of Ecology vol 88 no 5 pp 790ndash8002000

[19] T A Messmer ldquoThe emergence of human-wildlife conflictmanagement turning challenges into opportunitiesrdquo Interna-tional Biodeterioration amp Biodegradation vol 45 no 3-4 pp97ndash102 2000

[20] Y Hamada S Malaivijitnond P Kingsada and P BounnamldquoThedistribution and present status of primates in theNorthernRegion of Lao PDRrdquo Natural History Journal of ChulalongkornUniversity vol 7 pp 161ndash191 2007

[21] K S Siex andT T Struhsaker ldquoColobusmonkey and coconutsiastudy of perceived human-wildlife conflictsrdquo Journal of AppliedEcology vol 36 no 6 pp 1009ndash1020 1999

[22] Y Ayalew Population status distribution and ecology of geladababoon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego South WolloDessie Ethiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University AddisAbabaEthiopia 2009

[23] H Beyene Population estimate and structure of the geladababoon in the Guassa community conservation area centralEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[24] F Courchamp M Langlais and G Sugihara ldquoCats protectingbirds modelling the mesopredator release effectrdquo Journal ofAnimal Ecology vol 68 no 2 pp 282ndash292 1999

[25] M Serena Reintroduction Biology of Australian and NewZealand Fauna Surrey Beatty amp Sons Chipping Norton Aus-tralia 1994

[26] I A E Atkinson ldquoIntroduced mammals and models for resto-rationrdquo Biological Conservation vol 99 no 1 pp 81ndash96 2001

[27] P M Vitousek C M DrsquoAntonio L L Loope and R West-brooks ldquoBiological invasions as global environmental changerdquoAmerican Scientist vol 84 no 5 pp 468ndash478 1996

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

International Journal of Biodiversity 3

developed to collect demographic and socioeconomic infor-mation and threats to gelada baboons in the study area

The sample size was determined by using a method thatestimates minimum sample size based on a number of accu-racy factors [7] Hence the following equation was used todetermine the sample size

119899 =((119875 (1 minus 119875)) (11986021198852 + (119875 (1 minus 119875)) 119873))

119877 (1)

where 119899 = sample size required119873 = number of people in thepopulation (which in this case is 4 with 800 households)119875 =estimated variance in population as decimal 03 for 30119860 =precision desired as decimal 095 for 95 119885 = at confidencelevel 196 for 95 confidence level 119877 = estimated responserate 08 for 80

Accordingly from the total households (4 800) a totalof 60 respondents were selected and the questionnaire wasadministered The respondents were selected purposefullybased on their ability awareness and knowledge to contributeto the overall research objectives The snowball samplingtechnique was used as an identification tool The question-naire was pretested by a small number of interviews beforeconducting the actual one among some groups of the popula-tion which is not included in themain sample group tomakeit more practical Focus group discussion tool is preferred asfirstly it helps the discussant to be free to move the conversa-tion in any direction of interest to explore a topic broadly andsecondly it helps the researcher explore a situation in a shortperiod of time and reinforce questionnaire data [8] Two FGDwere held for the whole study The group size in each discus-sion ranged within 9ndash12 people The first group was made upof 2 experts of natural resource management from Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office 3 experts from wildlifeand forest enterprise of the districts 2 experts from cultureand tourism office of the district and 2 people from kebelegovernmental administrators whereas the second group wasmade up of 5 elders of villages 3 females from females asso-ciation 2 local leaders and 1 person from the nearby schoolDiscussants were invited to discuss issues according to theirconvenience They have discussed changes problems andchallenges to conservation of gelada baboons

23 Data Analysis The data were pooled together and SPSSsoftware for Windows Evaluation Version 20 was used forstatistical analysis using descriptive statistics and chi-squaretest Statistical test used was two-tailed with 95 confidenceintervals The data collected from group discussion and keyinformants was summarized using a text analysismethod andis presented in a description fashion

3 Result and Discussion

Demographic information of respondents is shown in Table 1Out of the total respondents 567 were males and 433were females There was no significant difference in thenumber of male and female respondents (1205942 = 1067 df = 1119875 gt 005) The vast majority of respondents were illiterate(817) and few were literate (183)Themajority (833) of

Table 1 Description of demographic and socioeconomic character-istics of the respondents

Variables Category Frequency Percentage

Sex Male 34 5667Female 26 4333

Education Literate 49 8167Illiterate 11 1833

Marital statusMarried 46 7667Single 9 1500

Divorced 5 833

Occupation

Farmers 41 6833Government workers 10 1667

Traders 6 1000Students 3 500

the respondentsrsquo ages ranged from 31 to 60 years while 10and 67 of the respondents were less than 30 and olderthan 60 years respectively Out of the total respondents767 were married 15 were single and 83 were divorcedMost of the respondents were farmers (6833) followed bygovernment workers (1667) traders (10) and students(5)There is significant difference among occupations of therespondents (1205942 = 61733 df = 3 119875 lt 005)

Focus group discussion and interview with local com-munities local governmental and nongovernmental organi-zation officials of Debre Libanos area provided informationabout the attitude towards conservation and on wildlifeand impacts on gelada baboons of the area Among theinterviewed individuals 89 had negative attitude 62 hadpositive attitude and 48 had neutral attitude towards thewildlife including gelada baboons of the area During focusgroup discussion most discussants were not happy with theexistence of gelada baboons They considered these wild ani-mals as a limiting factor to improve their livelihood becauseof the crop raiding problem they cause for local people Theresult of this study contradicted with the work of Andarge[9] at Guassa community conservation area and Yihune [10]at Simien Mountains National Park

The presence of local people in the area leads to humanpressure in and around conservation areas and human-wildlife interactions are becoming more common [11] Manystudies in Africa revealed that local people consider mostmedium and large sized wild animals as a pests to theircrops whereas the attitude of local people towards wildlifeis an important element to ensure the long-term survival ofwildlife resources [21]

Themajor identified threats that affect the status of geladababoons in the study area were habitat destruction livestockgrazing expansion of agricultural land expansion of invasivespecies depredation and inappropriate investment Thereis insignificant difference among the threats that affect thegelada baboon population in the study area (1205942 = 7872 df =5 119875 gt 005) The respondentsrsquo result on the threats of geladababoons is presented in Table 2

Habitat destruction (95) was recorded as the majorchallenge for existence of gelada baboons in the study area

4 International Journal of Biodiversity

Figure 2 Local people cutting trees and collecting firewood

Table 2 Respondentsrsquo result on threats to gelada baboons

Threat to gelada baboons Frequency PercentageHabitat destruction 57 95Livestock grazing 55 9167Expansion of agricultural land 50 8833Inappropriate investment 45 7500Depredation 40 6667Expansion of invasive species 35 5833

The increase in human population has resulted in moredemand for food farmland and other natural products Thishas also resulted in constriction of ranges and led to changeon composition and structure of the habitat [12] In thetropical developing countries protected areas are continuallyunder threat from growing human population [13] Localpeople of the study area occupied the new land for differentpurposes Cutting of trees for fuelwood charcoal productionconstruction of house and fence and timber production werecommon practices in the entire study area Many local peoplewere observed when they were cutting and collecting fire-wood from the bushland habitat of the study area (Figure 2)In developing countries like Ethiopia 75 of deforestationand habitat loss was caused by local people for fuel wood col-lection purpose [14] Tree cutting resulted in deterioration ofthe vegetation cover This minimizes the feeding ground andmating site of the wild animals [15]

Respondents (9167) revealed that livestock grazing wasa major challenge for gelada baboons Livestock of the localpeople graze and competewith the gelada baboons (Figure 3)

Figure 3 Domestic animals competing with gelada baboons

The most commonly observed domestic animals in the studyarea were cows oxen sheep goats donkeys and mules Thepresence of excess number of livestock causes direct compe-tition for food with gelada baboons and other wildlife in thearea (Figure 3) High number of cattle and scarcity of grazingland made the local people use even difficult cliffy area forgrazing and agriculture This has been observed during fieldobservation in the study area and confirmed by the localpeople during focus group discussion The same result wassupported by Aramde et al 2011 [16] and Chanie and Tes-faye 2015 [17] where livestock grazing deteriorates wildlifehabitats and diminishes the population size Frequent andextreme disturbances can radically alter an ecosystem andchange it to a different state Persistent overgrazing can makethe habitat bare [18]

8833 of the respondents reported agricultural landexpansion asmajor threat to gelada baboonsThe local peoplefarm mainly maize teff and other cereal crops People culti-vated crops by using even the infertile and cliffy areas whichare also habitat for gelada baboons Gelada baboons moved

International Journal of Biodiversity 5

to the farmers land and consume these crops So the localpeople chased gelada baboons away from their farmland byshouting whistling and throwing Conflict becomes moreserious in tropics and developing countries where agricultureand livestock rearing are important parts of local communi-ties livelihood [19 20] Human population growth increasesdemand for land and it results in restriction of animals tosmall areas and direct competition with local communities[21]

75 of the respondents reported inappropriate invest-ment as threat to gelada baboons The study area has veryattractive landscape with different natural and man-madetourism potentials such as Debis cave mountainous natureessential for paragliding wild animals including the endemicgelada baboon the historical Debre Libanos monasteryand other tourist attractions The presence of these tourismpotentials made the area ideal for hotel and tourism develop-ment However cattle and bee rearing within the habitat ofgelada baboons is practiced by investors which was unpro-ductive and also threatened the gelada baboon populationStudies by Ayalew 2009 [22] and Beyene 2010 [23] alsoreported that agricultural expansion and habitat degradationdue to investment and developmental activities threaten thepopulation of gelada baboon

Depredation (6667) was reported as a threat to geladababoons by respondents The natural enemies of geladababoons are leopard hyena jackals servals and foxes thatare present in the area Even though predation is a naturalphenomenon sometimes it becomes a major threat for ani-mals when its rate and frequency are unbalanced The otherthreat for gelada baboons of the study areawas domestic dogsThey were observed chasing infant gelada baboons duringthe field observation This phenomenon was also revealed bythe discussants of the focus group discussion This will causestress and instability in the population and in the long runthis may reduce the population size and growth rate Thedynamics of predation whether by natural predators or byhumans affects prey species [24]Therefore the conservationthreat to a species particularly due to predation depends onthe ecosystem in which it is found

Expansion of invasive species (5833) especially Euca-lyptus globulus is a major problem in the study areas Euca-lyptus globulus is a cash crop for local people of the study areaThey plant this species to get money fuelwood and otherbenefits where its area coverage is increasing from time totime Due to the aggressive nature of this species other plantspecies which are source of food for gelada baboons andother herbivores could not grow sustainably in the study areaThe discussants reported this seriously Exotic species are ofspecial management concern because they can threaten otherspecies Invasive species could cause the extinction of numer-ous mammals birds and invertebrates [25 26] Overdis-turbances are often the underlying causes for invasions ofexotic species that can take over andmaintain new states [27]Invasive species can result in indirect interactions throughhyperpredation apparent competition and mesopredatorrelease These can produce unexpected consequences

Generally overgrazing habitat destruction and agri-cultural land expansion inappropriate investment and

depredation were reported as primary threats to geladababoons These human activities resulted in habitat distur-bance and decrease in abundance and diversity of wildlife dueto destruction of habitat and competition on foraging Simi-larly a study of Ashenafi and Leader-Williams [28] reportedthat livestock grazing from nearby villages and local commu-nity used firewood more frequently in protected areas Themajor problem facing protected areas today is the increasein human settlement of adjacent lands and the unauthorizedharvesting of resources within the protected areas in Africa(Newmark et al) [29] The heaviest impact on primates islikely to be human activities Construction and the expansionof cities followed by the rapid growth of economy of manycountries make it difficult for the species [20] Many primatesare facing a variety of anthropogenic problems due to defor-estation and extensive use of their habitats for agriculturalactivities and settlement [30]

4 Conclusion and Recommendation

Habitats of the wildlife are destructed for agriculture thisresulted in lack of enough space food and other resourcesfor survival of wildlife Gelada baboons and local commu-nities use the same habitat and compete for resources Therequirements of wildlife overlap with the people in the areaThis causes conflict between local people and gelada baboonsGelada baboons consumed the crop of local people and localpeople also chased gelada baboons This problem becamesevere during the wet season in which the local peoplesrsquo landwas covered with cash crops As a result the attitude of mostof the local people towards gelada baboons is negative Soprotection and safeguarding of gelada baboon population inthe study area demand a great effort

Fire wood collection commercial timber productionagricultural and grazing land expansion and illegal hunt-ing have significant impact on accelerating degradation ofhabitats and cause competition between wild and domesticanimals for resourcesThese problems are highly affecting thestatus of gelada baboons in Debre Libanos

Recommendations The following points are suggested toreduce the problems and conserve the population of geladababoon properly

(i) Effective conservation measures should be takenthrough an extension work to create public awarenessamong the local community This will help the localpeople to appreciate the benefits of natural resourcesIt is important to integrate the use of full indige-nous knowledge and modern conservation systemsto develop a deeper understanding of the species andtheir ecosystems

(ii) Local people should participate in the process ofresolving the existing challenges in order to fosterpositive outlook towards wildlife

(iii) Implementation of rural development should bedesigned tomove the local people to the buffer zone toreduce human activities in habitats of wildlife and the

6 International Journal of Biodiversity

movement of wildlife from their habitats to farminglands

(iv) Livestock grazing and other human activities thatdegrade the natural habitats of wildlife should bestrictly reduced by developing implementing rulesand regulations

(v) Stakeholders should work together to reduce humanencroaching in wildlife habitats and relocate agricul-tural activities out of wildlife ranges

(vi) Debre Libanos area has great potential for tourismInvestors should be encouraged to open hotels res-taurants and lodges in the area Brochures postersand maps should be prepared to promote potentialtourist attraction in order to generate money fromtourists

Competing Interests

The authors do not declare any conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Addis Ababa UniversityMaddaWalabuUniversity andHorn ofAfrica Regional Envi-ronmental Center and Network (HoA-RECN) for financialsupport The authors are also grateful to the local communi-ties of Debre Libanos and Derbre-Libanos District Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office for providing necessaryinformation to accomplish this work

References

[1] IBC Ethiopia Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118119 Assess-ment IBC Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2008

[2] C M Hill ldquoConflict of interest between people and baboonscrop raiding in Ugandardquo International Journal of Primatologyvol 21 no 2 pp 299ndash315 2000

[3] MOOgada RWoodroffeNOOguge andLG Frank ldquoLim-iting depredation by African carnivores the role of livestockhusbandryrdquo Conservation Biology vol 17 no 6 pp 1521ndash15302003

[4] J C Hillman Ethiopia Compendium of Wildlife Conserva-tion Information Volume I NYZS and EWCO Addis AbabaEthiopia 1993

[5] T L Burton and G E Cherry Social Research Techniques forPlanners George Allen a Unwin London UK 1970

[6] M Finn M Elliott-White and MWalton Tourism and LeisureResearch Method Longham London UK 2000

[7] J Watson How to Determine a Sample Size Penen State Coop-erative Extension University Park Pa USA 2001 httpucanredusitesCEprogramevaluationfiles143304pdf

[8] W M K Trochin The Research Methods Knowledge BaseCornell University Press New York NY USA 2003

[9] E Andarge Human-wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian Wolf(Canis simensis) and gelada baboon (Theropithicus gelada)around Guassa community conservation area North ShoaEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[10] M Yihune Human-wildlife (Gelada Baboon and EthiopianWolf) conflict in and around the SimienMountainsNational Park[MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia2006

[11] G Corti E Fanning S Gordon R J Hinde and R K B Jenk-ins ldquoObservations on the puku antelope (Kobus vardoni Living-stone 1857) in the Kilombero Valley Tanzaniardquo African Journalof Ecology vol 40 no 2 pp 197ndash200 2002

[12] A J Meduna A A Ogunjinmi and S A Onadeko ldquoBio-diversity conservation problems and their implications onecotourism in Kainji LakeNational Park Nigeriardquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development vol 10 no 4 pp 59ndash732009

[13] G Wynne Conservation Policy and Politics Oxford UniversityPress New York NY USA 1998

[14] FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations Rome Italy 2000

[15] T Kumssa and A Bekele ldquoHuman wildlife conflict in senkeleSwaynersquos hartebeest sanctuary Ethiopiardquo Journal of Experimen-tal Biology and Agricultural Sciences vol 1 no 1 2013

[16] F Aramde M Girma and B Tsegaye ldquoSpatial distribution andhabitat preferences of selected large mammalian species in theNechsar National Park (NSNP) Ethiopiardquo Nature and Sciencevol 9 no 3 pp 80ndash90 2011

[17] S Chanie and D Tesfaye ldquoThreats of biodiversity conservationand ecotourism activities in Nechsar National Park EthiopiardquoInternational Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation vol 7 no3 pp 130ndash139 2015

[18] X B Wu T L Thurow and S G Whisenant ldquoFragmentationand changes in hydrologic function of tiger bush landscapessouth-westNigerrdquo Journal of Ecology vol 88 no 5 pp 790ndash8002000

[19] T A Messmer ldquoThe emergence of human-wildlife conflictmanagement turning challenges into opportunitiesrdquo Interna-tional Biodeterioration amp Biodegradation vol 45 no 3-4 pp97ndash102 2000

[20] Y Hamada S Malaivijitnond P Kingsada and P BounnamldquoThedistribution and present status of primates in theNorthernRegion of Lao PDRrdquo Natural History Journal of ChulalongkornUniversity vol 7 pp 161ndash191 2007

[21] K S Siex andT T Struhsaker ldquoColobusmonkey and coconutsiastudy of perceived human-wildlife conflictsrdquo Journal of AppliedEcology vol 36 no 6 pp 1009ndash1020 1999

[22] Y Ayalew Population status distribution and ecology of geladababoon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego South WolloDessie Ethiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University AddisAbabaEthiopia 2009

[23] H Beyene Population estimate and structure of the geladababoon in the Guassa community conservation area centralEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[24] F Courchamp M Langlais and G Sugihara ldquoCats protectingbirds modelling the mesopredator release effectrdquo Journal ofAnimal Ecology vol 68 no 2 pp 282ndash292 1999

[25] M Serena Reintroduction Biology of Australian and NewZealand Fauna Surrey Beatty amp Sons Chipping Norton Aus-tralia 1994

[26] I A E Atkinson ldquoIntroduced mammals and models for resto-rationrdquo Biological Conservation vol 99 no 1 pp 81ndash96 2001

[27] P M Vitousek C M DrsquoAntonio L L Loope and R West-brooks ldquoBiological invasions as global environmental changerdquoAmerican Scientist vol 84 no 5 pp 468ndash478 1996

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

4 International Journal of Biodiversity

Figure 2 Local people cutting trees and collecting firewood

Table 2 Respondentsrsquo result on threats to gelada baboons

Threat to gelada baboons Frequency PercentageHabitat destruction 57 95Livestock grazing 55 9167Expansion of agricultural land 50 8833Inappropriate investment 45 7500Depredation 40 6667Expansion of invasive species 35 5833

The increase in human population has resulted in moredemand for food farmland and other natural products Thishas also resulted in constriction of ranges and led to changeon composition and structure of the habitat [12] In thetropical developing countries protected areas are continuallyunder threat from growing human population [13] Localpeople of the study area occupied the new land for differentpurposes Cutting of trees for fuelwood charcoal productionconstruction of house and fence and timber production werecommon practices in the entire study area Many local peoplewere observed when they were cutting and collecting fire-wood from the bushland habitat of the study area (Figure 2)In developing countries like Ethiopia 75 of deforestationand habitat loss was caused by local people for fuel wood col-lection purpose [14] Tree cutting resulted in deterioration ofthe vegetation cover This minimizes the feeding ground andmating site of the wild animals [15]

Respondents (9167) revealed that livestock grazing wasa major challenge for gelada baboons Livestock of the localpeople graze and competewith the gelada baboons (Figure 3)

Figure 3 Domestic animals competing with gelada baboons

The most commonly observed domestic animals in the studyarea were cows oxen sheep goats donkeys and mules Thepresence of excess number of livestock causes direct compe-tition for food with gelada baboons and other wildlife in thearea (Figure 3) High number of cattle and scarcity of grazingland made the local people use even difficult cliffy area forgrazing and agriculture This has been observed during fieldobservation in the study area and confirmed by the localpeople during focus group discussion The same result wassupported by Aramde et al 2011 [16] and Chanie and Tes-faye 2015 [17] where livestock grazing deteriorates wildlifehabitats and diminishes the population size Frequent andextreme disturbances can radically alter an ecosystem andchange it to a different state Persistent overgrazing can makethe habitat bare [18]

8833 of the respondents reported agricultural landexpansion asmajor threat to gelada baboonsThe local peoplefarm mainly maize teff and other cereal crops People culti-vated crops by using even the infertile and cliffy areas whichare also habitat for gelada baboons Gelada baboons moved

International Journal of Biodiversity 5

to the farmers land and consume these crops So the localpeople chased gelada baboons away from their farmland byshouting whistling and throwing Conflict becomes moreserious in tropics and developing countries where agricultureand livestock rearing are important parts of local communi-ties livelihood [19 20] Human population growth increasesdemand for land and it results in restriction of animals tosmall areas and direct competition with local communities[21]

75 of the respondents reported inappropriate invest-ment as threat to gelada baboons The study area has veryattractive landscape with different natural and man-madetourism potentials such as Debis cave mountainous natureessential for paragliding wild animals including the endemicgelada baboon the historical Debre Libanos monasteryand other tourist attractions The presence of these tourismpotentials made the area ideal for hotel and tourism develop-ment However cattle and bee rearing within the habitat ofgelada baboons is practiced by investors which was unpro-ductive and also threatened the gelada baboon populationStudies by Ayalew 2009 [22] and Beyene 2010 [23] alsoreported that agricultural expansion and habitat degradationdue to investment and developmental activities threaten thepopulation of gelada baboon

Depredation (6667) was reported as a threat to geladababoons by respondents The natural enemies of geladababoons are leopard hyena jackals servals and foxes thatare present in the area Even though predation is a naturalphenomenon sometimes it becomes a major threat for ani-mals when its rate and frequency are unbalanced The otherthreat for gelada baboons of the study areawas domestic dogsThey were observed chasing infant gelada baboons duringthe field observation This phenomenon was also revealed bythe discussants of the focus group discussion This will causestress and instability in the population and in the long runthis may reduce the population size and growth rate Thedynamics of predation whether by natural predators or byhumans affects prey species [24]Therefore the conservationthreat to a species particularly due to predation depends onthe ecosystem in which it is found

Expansion of invasive species (5833) especially Euca-lyptus globulus is a major problem in the study areas Euca-lyptus globulus is a cash crop for local people of the study areaThey plant this species to get money fuelwood and otherbenefits where its area coverage is increasing from time totime Due to the aggressive nature of this species other plantspecies which are source of food for gelada baboons andother herbivores could not grow sustainably in the study areaThe discussants reported this seriously Exotic species are ofspecial management concern because they can threaten otherspecies Invasive species could cause the extinction of numer-ous mammals birds and invertebrates [25 26] Overdis-turbances are often the underlying causes for invasions ofexotic species that can take over andmaintain new states [27]Invasive species can result in indirect interactions throughhyperpredation apparent competition and mesopredatorrelease These can produce unexpected consequences

Generally overgrazing habitat destruction and agri-cultural land expansion inappropriate investment and

depredation were reported as primary threats to geladababoons These human activities resulted in habitat distur-bance and decrease in abundance and diversity of wildlife dueto destruction of habitat and competition on foraging Simi-larly a study of Ashenafi and Leader-Williams [28] reportedthat livestock grazing from nearby villages and local commu-nity used firewood more frequently in protected areas Themajor problem facing protected areas today is the increasein human settlement of adjacent lands and the unauthorizedharvesting of resources within the protected areas in Africa(Newmark et al) [29] The heaviest impact on primates islikely to be human activities Construction and the expansionof cities followed by the rapid growth of economy of manycountries make it difficult for the species [20] Many primatesare facing a variety of anthropogenic problems due to defor-estation and extensive use of their habitats for agriculturalactivities and settlement [30]

4 Conclusion and Recommendation

Habitats of the wildlife are destructed for agriculture thisresulted in lack of enough space food and other resourcesfor survival of wildlife Gelada baboons and local commu-nities use the same habitat and compete for resources Therequirements of wildlife overlap with the people in the areaThis causes conflict between local people and gelada baboonsGelada baboons consumed the crop of local people and localpeople also chased gelada baboons This problem becamesevere during the wet season in which the local peoplesrsquo landwas covered with cash crops As a result the attitude of mostof the local people towards gelada baboons is negative Soprotection and safeguarding of gelada baboon population inthe study area demand a great effort

Fire wood collection commercial timber productionagricultural and grazing land expansion and illegal hunt-ing have significant impact on accelerating degradation ofhabitats and cause competition between wild and domesticanimals for resourcesThese problems are highly affecting thestatus of gelada baboons in Debre Libanos

Recommendations The following points are suggested toreduce the problems and conserve the population of geladababoon properly

(i) Effective conservation measures should be takenthrough an extension work to create public awarenessamong the local community This will help the localpeople to appreciate the benefits of natural resourcesIt is important to integrate the use of full indige-nous knowledge and modern conservation systemsto develop a deeper understanding of the species andtheir ecosystems

(ii) Local people should participate in the process ofresolving the existing challenges in order to fosterpositive outlook towards wildlife

(iii) Implementation of rural development should bedesigned tomove the local people to the buffer zone toreduce human activities in habitats of wildlife and the

6 International Journal of Biodiversity

movement of wildlife from their habitats to farminglands

(iv) Livestock grazing and other human activities thatdegrade the natural habitats of wildlife should bestrictly reduced by developing implementing rulesand regulations

(v) Stakeholders should work together to reduce humanencroaching in wildlife habitats and relocate agricul-tural activities out of wildlife ranges

(vi) Debre Libanos area has great potential for tourismInvestors should be encouraged to open hotels res-taurants and lodges in the area Brochures postersand maps should be prepared to promote potentialtourist attraction in order to generate money fromtourists

Competing Interests

The authors do not declare any conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Addis Ababa UniversityMaddaWalabuUniversity andHorn ofAfrica Regional Envi-ronmental Center and Network (HoA-RECN) for financialsupport The authors are also grateful to the local communi-ties of Debre Libanos and Derbre-Libanos District Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office for providing necessaryinformation to accomplish this work

References

[1] IBC Ethiopia Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118119 Assess-ment IBC Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2008

[2] C M Hill ldquoConflict of interest between people and baboonscrop raiding in Ugandardquo International Journal of Primatologyvol 21 no 2 pp 299ndash315 2000

[3] MOOgada RWoodroffeNOOguge andLG Frank ldquoLim-iting depredation by African carnivores the role of livestockhusbandryrdquo Conservation Biology vol 17 no 6 pp 1521ndash15302003

[4] J C Hillman Ethiopia Compendium of Wildlife Conserva-tion Information Volume I NYZS and EWCO Addis AbabaEthiopia 1993

[5] T L Burton and G E Cherry Social Research Techniques forPlanners George Allen a Unwin London UK 1970

[6] M Finn M Elliott-White and MWalton Tourism and LeisureResearch Method Longham London UK 2000

[7] J Watson How to Determine a Sample Size Penen State Coop-erative Extension University Park Pa USA 2001 httpucanredusitesCEprogramevaluationfiles143304pdf

[8] W M K Trochin The Research Methods Knowledge BaseCornell University Press New York NY USA 2003

[9] E Andarge Human-wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian Wolf(Canis simensis) and gelada baboon (Theropithicus gelada)around Guassa community conservation area North ShoaEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[10] M Yihune Human-wildlife (Gelada Baboon and EthiopianWolf) conflict in and around the SimienMountainsNational Park[MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia2006

[11] G Corti E Fanning S Gordon R J Hinde and R K B Jenk-ins ldquoObservations on the puku antelope (Kobus vardoni Living-stone 1857) in the Kilombero Valley Tanzaniardquo African Journalof Ecology vol 40 no 2 pp 197ndash200 2002

[12] A J Meduna A A Ogunjinmi and S A Onadeko ldquoBio-diversity conservation problems and their implications onecotourism in Kainji LakeNational Park Nigeriardquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development vol 10 no 4 pp 59ndash732009

[13] G Wynne Conservation Policy and Politics Oxford UniversityPress New York NY USA 1998

[14] FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations Rome Italy 2000

[15] T Kumssa and A Bekele ldquoHuman wildlife conflict in senkeleSwaynersquos hartebeest sanctuary Ethiopiardquo Journal of Experimen-tal Biology and Agricultural Sciences vol 1 no 1 2013

[16] F Aramde M Girma and B Tsegaye ldquoSpatial distribution andhabitat preferences of selected large mammalian species in theNechsar National Park (NSNP) Ethiopiardquo Nature and Sciencevol 9 no 3 pp 80ndash90 2011

[17] S Chanie and D Tesfaye ldquoThreats of biodiversity conservationand ecotourism activities in Nechsar National Park EthiopiardquoInternational Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation vol 7 no3 pp 130ndash139 2015

[18] X B Wu T L Thurow and S G Whisenant ldquoFragmentationand changes in hydrologic function of tiger bush landscapessouth-westNigerrdquo Journal of Ecology vol 88 no 5 pp 790ndash8002000

[19] T A Messmer ldquoThe emergence of human-wildlife conflictmanagement turning challenges into opportunitiesrdquo Interna-tional Biodeterioration amp Biodegradation vol 45 no 3-4 pp97ndash102 2000

[20] Y Hamada S Malaivijitnond P Kingsada and P BounnamldquoThedistribution and present status of primates in theNorthernRegion of Lao PDRrdquo Natural History Journal of ChulalongkornUniversity vol 7 pp 161ndash191 2007

[21] K S Siex andT T Struhsaker ldquoColobusmonkey and coconutsiastudy of perceived human-wildlife conflictsrdquo Journal of AppliedEcology vol 36 no 6 pp 1009ndash1020 1999

[22] Y Ayalew Population status distribution and ecology of geladababoon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego South WolloDessie Ethiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University AddisAbabaEthiopia 2009

[23] H Beyene Population estimate and structure of the geladababoon in the Guassa community conservation area centralEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[24] F Courchamp M Langlais and G Sugihara ldquoCats protectingbirds modelling the mesopredator release effectrdquo Journal ofAnimal Ecology vol 68 no 2 pp 282ndash292 1999

[25] M Serena Reintroduction Biology of Australian and NewZealand Fauna Surrey Beatty amp Sons Chipping Norton Aus-tralia 1994

[26] I A E Atkinson ldquoIntroduced mammals and models for resto-rationrdquo Biological Conservation vol 99 no 1 pp 81ndash96 2001

[27] P M Vitousek C M DrsquoAntonio L L Loope and R West-brooks ldquoBiological invasions as global environmental changerdquoAmerican Scientist vol 84 no 5 pp 468ndash478 1996

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

International Journal of Biodiversity 5

to the farmers land and consume these crops So the localpeople chased gelada baboons away from their farmland byshouting whistling and throwing Conflict becomes moreserious in tropics and developing countries where agricultureand livestock rearing are important parts of local communi-ties livelihood [19 20] Human population growth increasesdemand for land and it results in restriction of animals tosmall areas and direct competition with local communities[21]

75 of the respondents reported inappropriate invest-ment as threat to gelada baboons The study area has veryattractive landscape with different natural and man-madetourism potentials such as Debis cave mountainous natureessential for paragliding wild animals including the endemicgelada baboon the historical Debre Libanos monasteryand other tourist attractions The presence of these tourismpotentials made the area ideal for hotel and tourism develop-ment However cattle and bee rearing within the habitat ofgelada baboons is practiced by investors which was unpro-ductive and also threatened the gelada baboon populationStudies by Ayalew 2009 [22] and Beyene 2010 [23] alsoreported that agricultural expansion and habitat degradationdue to investment and developmental activities threaten thepopulation of gelada baboon

Depredation (6667) was reported as a threat to geladababoons by respondents The natural enemies of geladababoons are leopard hyena jackals servals and foxes thatare present in the area Even though predation is a naturalphenomenon sometimes it becomes a major threat for ani-mals when its rate and frequency are unbalanced The otherthreat for gelada baboons of the study areawas domestic dogsThey were observed chasing infant gelada baboons duringthe field observation This phenomenon was also revealed bythe discussants of the focus group discussion This will causestress and instability in the population and in the long runthis may reduce the population size and growth rate Thedynamics of predation whether by natural predators or byhumans affects prey species [24]Therefore the conservationthreat to a species particularly due to predation depends onthe ecosystem in which it is found

Expansion of invasive species (5833) especially Euca-lyptus globulus is a major problem in the study areas Euca-lyptus globulus is a cash crop for local people of the study areaThey plant this species to get money fuelwood and otherbenefits where its area coverage is increasing from time totime Due to the aggressive nature of this species other plantspecies which are source of food for gelada baboons andother herbivores could not grow sustainably in the study areaThe discussants reported this seriously Exotic species are ofspecial management concern because they can threaten otherspecies Invasive species could cause the extinction of numer-ous mammals birds and invertebrates [25 26] Overdis-turbances are often the underlying causes for invasions ofexotic species that can take over andmaintain new states [27]Invasive species can result in indirect interactions throughhyperpredation apparent competition and mesopredatorrelease These can produce unexpected consequences

Generally overgrazing habitat destruction and agri-cultural land expansion inappropriate investment and

depredation were reported as primary threats to geladababoons These human activities resulted in habitat distur-bance and decrease in abundance and diversity of wildlife dueto destruction of habitat and competition on foraging Simi-larly a study of Ashenafi and Leader-Williams [28] reportedthat livestock grazing from nearby villages and local commu-nity used firewood more frequently in protected areas Themajor problem facing protected areas today is the increasein human settlement of adjacent lands and the unauthorizedharvesting of resources within the protected areas in Africa(Newmark et al) [29] The heaviest impact on primates islikely to be human activities Construction and the expansionof cities followed by the rapid growth of economy of manycountries make it difficult for the species [20] Many primatesare facing a variety of anthropogenic problems due to defor-estation and extensive use of their habitats for agriculturalactivities and settlement [30]

4 Conclusion and Recommendation

Habitats of the wildlife are destructed for agriculture thisresulted in lack of enough space food and other resourcesfor survival of wildlife Gelada baboons and local commu-nities use the same habitat and compete for resources Therequirements of wildlife overlap with the people in the areaThis causes conflict between local people and gelada baboonsGelada baboons consumed the crop of local people and localpeople also chased gelada baboons This problem becamesevere during the wet season in which the local peoplesrsquo landwas covered with cash crops As a result the attitude of mostof the local people towards gelada baboons is negative Soprotection and safeguarding of gelada baboon population inthe study area demand a great effort

Fire wood collection commercial timber productionagricultural and grazing land expansion and illegal hunt-ing have significant impact on accelerating degradation ofhabitats and cause competition between wild and domesticanimals for resourcesThese problems are highly affecting thestatus of gelada baboons in Debre Libanos

Recommendations The following points are suggested toreduce the problems and conserve the population of geladababoon properly

(i) Effective conservation measures should be takenthrough an extension work to create public awarenessamong the local community This will help the localpeople to appreciate the benefits of natural resourcesIt is important to integrate the use of full indige-nous knowledge and modern conservation systemsto develop a deeper understanding of the species andtheir ecosystems

(ii) Local people should participate in the process ofresolving the existing challenges in order to fosterpositive outlook towards wildlife

(iii) Implementation of rural development should bedesigned tomove the local people to the buffer zone toreduce human activities in habitats of wildlife and the

6 International Journal of Biodiversity

movement of wildlife from their habitats to farminglands

(iv) Livestock grazing and other human activities thatdegrade the natural habitats of wildlife should bestrictly reduced by developing implementing rulesand regulations

(v) Stakeholders should work together to reduce humanencroaching in wildlife habitats and relocate agricul-tural activities out of wildlife ranges

(vi) Debre Libanos area has great potential for tourismInvestors should be encouraged to open hotels res-taurants and lodges in the area Brochures postersand maps should be prepared to promote potentialtourist attraction in order to generate money fromtourists

Competing Interests

The authors do not declare any conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Addis Ababa UniversityMaddaWalabuUniversity andHorn ofAfrica Regional Envi-ronmental Center and Network (HoA-RECN) for financialsupport The authors are also grateful to the local communi-ties of Debre Libanos and Derbre-Libanos District Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office for providing necessaryinformation to accomplish this work

References

[1] IBC Ethiopia Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118119 Assess-ment IBC Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2008

[2] C M Hill ldquoConflict of interest between people and baboonscrop raiding in Ugandardquo International Journal of Primatologyvol 21 no 2 pp 299ndash315 2000

[3] MOOgada RWoodroffeNOOguge andLG Frank ldquoLim-iting depredation by African carnivores the role of livestockhusbandryrdquo Conservation Biology vol 17 no 6 pp 1521ndash15302003

[4] J C Hillman Ethiopia Compendium of Wildlife Conserva-tion Information Volume I NYZS and EWCO Addis AbabaEthiopia 1993

[5] T L Burton and G E Cherry Social Research Techniques forPlanners George Allen a Unwin London UK 1970

[6] M Finn M Elliott-White and MWalton Tourism and LeisureResearch Method Longham London UK 2000

[7] J Watson How to Determine a Sample Size Penen State Coop-erative Extension University Park Pa USA 2001 httpucanredusitesCEprogramevaluationfiles143304pdf

[8] W M K Trochin The Research Methods Knowledge BaseCornell University Press New York NY USA 2003

[9] E Andarge Human-wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian Wolf(Canis simensis) and gelada baboon (Theropithicus gelada)around Guassa community conservation area North ShoaEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[10] M Yihune Human-wildlife (Gelada Baboon and EthiopianWolf) conflict in and around the SimienMountainsNational Park[MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia2006

[11] G Corti E Fanning S Gordon R J Hinde and R K B Jenk-ins ldquoObservations on the puku antelope (Kobus vardoni Living-stone 1857) in the Kilombero Valley Tanzaniardquo African Journalof Ecology vol 40 no 2 pp 197ndash200 2002

[12] A J Meduna A A Ogunjinmi and S A Onadeko ldquoBio-diversity conservation problems and their implications onecotourism in Kainji LakeNational Park Nigeriardquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development vol 10 no 4 pp 59ndash732009

[13] G Wynne Conservation Policy and Politics Oxford UniversityPress New York NY USA 1998

[14] FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations Rome Italy 2000

[15] T Kumssa and A Bekele ldquoHuman wildlife conflict in senkeleSwaynersquos hartebeest sanctuary Ethiopiardquo Journal of Experimen-tal Biology and Agricultural Sciences vol 1 no 1 2013

[16] F Aramde M Girma and B Tsegaye ldquoSpatial distribution andhabitat preferences of selected large mammalian species in theNechsar National Park (NSNP) Ethiopiardquo Nature and Sciencevol 9 no 3 pp 80ndash90 2011

[17] S Chanie and D Tesfaye ldquoThreats of biodiversity conservationand ecotourism activities in Nechsar National Park EthiopiardquoInternational Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation vol 7 no3 pp 130ndash139 2015

[18] X B Wu T L Thurow and S G Whisenant ldquoFragmentationand changes in hydrologic function of tiger bush landscapessouth-westNigerrdquo Journal of Ecology vol 88 no 5 pp 790ndash8002000

[19] T A Messmer ldquoThe emergence of human-wildlife conflictmanagement turning challenges into opportunitiesrdquo Interna-tional Biodeterioration amp Biodegradation vol 45 no 3-4 pp97ndash102 2000

[20] Y Hamada S Malaivijitnond P Kingsada and P BounnamldquoThedistribution and present status of primates in theNorthernRegion of Lao PDRrdquo Natural History Journal of ChulalongkornUniversity vol 7 pp 161ndash191 2007

[21] K S Siex andT T Struhsaker ldquoColobusmonkey and coconutsiastudy of perceived human-wildlife conflictsrdquo Journal of AppliedEcology vol 36 no 6 pp 1009ndash1020 1999

[22] Y Ayalew Population status distribution and ecology of geladababoon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego South WolloDessie Ethiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University AddisAbabaEthiopia 2009

[23] H Beyene Population estimate and structure of the geladababoon in the Guassa community conservation area centralEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[24] F Courchamp M Langlais and G Sugihara ldquoCats protectingbirds modelling the mesopredator release effectrdquo Journal ofAnimal Ecology vol 68 no 2 pp 282ndash292 1999

[25] M Serena Reintroduction Biology of Australian and NewZealand Fauna Surrey Beatty amp Sons Chipping Norton Aus-tralia 1994

[26] I A E Atkinson ldquoIntroduced mammals and models for resto-rationrdquo Biological Conservation vol 99 no 1 pp 81ndash96 2001

[27] P M Vitousek C M DrsquoAntonio L L Loope and R West-brooks ldquoBiological invasions as global environmental changerdquoAmerican Scientist vol 84 no 5 pp 468ndash478 1996

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

6 International Journal of Biodiversity

movement of wildlife from their habitats to farminglands

(iv) Livestock grazing and other human activities thatdegrade the natural habitats of wildlife should bestrictly reduced by developing implementing rulesand regulations

(v) Stakeholders should work together to reduce humanencroaching in wildlife habitats and relocate agricul-tural activities out of wildlife ranges

(vi) Debre Libanos area has great potential for tourismInvestors should be encouraged to open hotels res-taurants and lodges in the area Brochures postersand maps should be prepared to promote potentialtourist attraction in order to generate money fromtourists

Competing Interests

The authors do not declare any conflict of interests

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Addis Ababa UniversityMaddaWalabuUniversity andHorn ofAfrica Regional Envi-ronmental Center and Network (HoA-RECN) for financialsupport The authors are also grateful to the local communi-ties of Debre Libanos and Derbre-Libanos District Agricul-tural and Rural Development Office for providing necessaryinformation to accomplish this work

References

[1] IBC Ethiopia Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118119 Assess-ment IBC Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2008

[2] C M Hill ldquoConflict of interest between people and baboonscrop raiding in Ugandardquo International Journal of Primatologyvol 21 no 2 pp 299ndash315 2000

[3] MOOgada RWoodroffeNOOguge andLG Frank ldquoLim-iting depredation by African carnivores the role of livestockhusbandryrdquo Conservation Biology vol 17 no 6 pp 1521ndash15302003

[4] J C Hillman Ethiopia Compendium of Wildlife Conserva-tion Information Volume I NYZS and EWCO Addis AbabaEthiopia 1993

[5] T L Burton and G E Cherry Social Research Techniques forPlanners George Allen a Unwin London UK 1970

[6] M Finn M Elliott-White and MWalton Tourism and LeisureResearch Method Longham London UK 2000

[7] J Watson How to Determine a Sample Size Penen State Coop-erative Extension University Park Pa USA 2001 httpucanredusitesCEprogramevaluationfiles143304pdf

[8] W M K Trochin The Research Methods Knowledge BaseCornell University Press New York NY USA 2003

[9] E Andarge Human-wildlife conflict involving Ethiopian Wolf(Canis simensis) and gelada baboon (Theropithicus gelada)around Guassa community conservation area North ShoaEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[10] M Yihune Human-wildlife (Gelada Baboon and EthiopianWolf) conflict in and around the SimienMountainsNational Park[MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia2006

[11] G Corti E Fanning S Gordon R J Hinde and R K B Jenk-ins ldquoObservations on the puku antelope (Kobus vardoni Living-stone 1857) in the Kilombero Valley Tanzaniardquo African Journalof Ecology vol 40 no 2 pp 197ndash200 2002

[12] A J Meduna A A Ogunjinmi and S A Onadeko ldquoBio-diversity conservation problems and their implications onecotourism in Kainji LakeNational Park Nigeriardquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development vol 10 no 4 pp 59ndash732009

[13] G Wynne Conservation Policy and Politics Oxford UniversityPress New York NY USA 1998

[14] FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations Rome Italy 2000

[15] T Kumssa and A Bekele ldquoHuman wildlife conflict in senkeleSwaynersquos hartebeest sanctuary Ethiopiardquo Journal of Experimen-tal Biology and Agricultural Sciences vol 1 no 1 2013

[16] F Aramde M Girma and B Tsegaye ldquoSpatial distribution andhabitat preferences of selected large mammalian species in theNechsar National Park (NSNP) Ethiopiardquo Nature and Sciencevol 9 no 3 pp 80ndash90 2011

[17] S Chanie and D Tesfaye ldquoThreats of biodiversity conservationand ecotourism activities in Nechsar National Park EthiopiardquoInternational Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation vol 7 no3 pp 130ndash139 2015

[18] X B Wu T L Thurow and S G Whisenant ldquoFragmentationand changes in hydrologic function of tiger bush landscapessouth-westNigerrdquo Journal of Ecology vol 88 no 5 pp 790ndash8002000

[19] T A Messmer ldquoThe emergence of human-wildlife conflictmanagement turning challenges into opportunitiesrdquo Interna-tional Biodeterioration amp Biodegradation vol 45 no 3-4 pp97ndash102 2000

[20] Y Hamada S Malaivijitnond P Kingsada and P BounnamldquoThedistribution and present status of primates in theNorthernRegion of Lao PDRrdquo Natural History Journal of ChulalongkornUniversity vol 7 pp 161ndash191 2007

[21] K S Siex andT T Struhsaker ldquoColobusmonkey and coconutsiastudy of perceived human-wildlife conflictsrdquo Journal of AppliedEcology vol 36 no 6 pp 1009ndash1020 1999

[22] Y Ayalew Population status distribution and ecology of geladababoon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego South WolloDessie Ethiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University AddisAbabaEthiopia 2009

[23] H Beyene Population estimate and structure of the geladababoon in the Guassa community conservation area centralEthiopia [MS thesis] Addis Ababa University Addis AbabaEthiopia 2010

[24] F Courchamp M Langlais and G Sugihara ldquoCats protectingbirds modelling the mesopredator release effectrdquo Journal ofAnimal Ecology vol 68 no 2 pp 282ndash292 1999

[25] M Serena Reintroduction Biology of Australian and NewZealand Fauna Surrey Beatty amp Sons Chipping Norton Aus-tralia 1994

[26] I A E Atkinson ldquoIntroduced mammals and models for resto-rationrdquo Biological Conservation vol 99 no 1 pp 81ndash96 2001

[27] P M Vitousek C M DrsquoAntonio L L Loope and R West-brooks ldquoBiological invasions as global environmental changerdquoAmerican Scientist vol 84 no 5 pp 468ndash478 1996

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

International Journal of Biodiversity 7

[28] Z T Ashenafi and N Leader-Williams ldquoIndigenous commonproperty resource management in the Central Highlands ofEthiopiardquo Human Ecology vol 33 no 4 pp 539ndash563 2005

[29] W D Newmark D N Manyanza D G M Gamassa and H ISariko ldquoThe conflict between wildlife and local people livingadjacent to protected areas in Tanzania human density as apredictorrdquo Conservation Biology vol 8 no 1 pp 249ndash255 1994

[30] G Cowlishaw and R Dunbar Primate Conservation BiologyUniversity of Chicago Press Chicago Ill USA 2000

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology