Social and cultural aspects of human–wildlife conflicts: Understanding people's attitudes to crop-raiding animals and other wildlife in agricultural systems of the Tibetan Plateau
This study examines how farming communities on the eastern Tibetan Plateau perceive and tolerate crop‑raiding wildlife. Through surveys across five Buddhist villages, it reveals that cultural values and species preferences strongly shape tolerance, offering insights for designing conservation strategies that align with local social and cultural contexts.
Subject Tags
- Wildlife
- Social Sciences
Abstract
The social dimensions of human–wildlife conflicts are becoming increasingly important. In regions where crop-raiding is a common issue, local people's attitudes toward wildlife is an important indicator of how successful conservation efforts are likely to be. One such area is the east Tibetan Plateau—a biodiversity hotspot with well-preserved forest ecosystems and mountain villages where subsistence farming is practiced. In this context, we conducted a survey of people's tolerance toward wildlife in five Tibetan villages that experience conflicts arising from crop-raiding incidents. We interviewed 83 respondents, 76 of whom were participants in a compensation scheme that provided payments for crop damage. Wildlife tolerance was generally high, mostly due to mutualistic wildlife values, whereby people believed they should coexist with animals equally instead of exploiting them as natural resources. Tolerance was influenced by people's wildlife preference rather than the level of damage to croplands: people were likely to show higher tolerance toward culturally important species even when they were crop-raiding animals. While economic and mitigation efforts as part of traditional conservation management led to increased tolerance, the compensation scheme and fencing were less important than wildlife preference. We suggest that conservation management for human-wildlife conflicts should develop region and stakeholder-specific engagement strategies. Crucially, such strategies should incorporate cultural considerations to fully address the complex human dimensions inherent in these issues.
Citation
Li, M., Jiang, W., Li, B., & Butt, N. (2023). Social and cultural aspects of human–wildlife conflicts: Understanding people's attitudes to crop‐raiding animals and other wildlife in agricultural systems of the Tibetan Plateau. Integrative Conservation, 2(4), 214-225.
TNC Authors
-
Mengjiao Li
The Nature Conservancy
Email: mengjiao.li@TNC.ORG