Wild Vertebrates Associated with Crop Raiding Around Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria

• J.A. Ogunjobi

  Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

  Author

• A.J. Adeola

  Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

  Author

Crop raiding activities of wild vertebrates around Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), Nigeria was investigated in 2013. Based on closeness to the park boundaries, ten out of thirty communities were purposively selected for this study. Questionnaire and on-site field assessments were used to gather research information while catalogue with pictures of different wild vertebrates endemic to KLNP was used to authenticate farmers’ claim on wild animal species. Data generated were subjected to descriptive and chi-square analyses. The common wild vertebrates raiding farmlands identified by the farmers comprised of nine species belonging to three orders (primates, rodentia and aves). Large percentage of the raids (43.53%) was perpetrated by primates with the highest single raid carried out by Papio anubis. Statistically, species of wild vertebrates involves in crop raiding were significantly different (χ2 = 344.09, df = 8, p<0.01) in relation to farm locations. There are seven commonly raided crops and Zea mays was the most frequently (30.73%) raided while Manihot esculenta (1.67%) was the least. Raiding pattern by wild vertebrates was similar to farmers’cultivating pattern (Zea mays >Sorghum bicolor >Vigna unguiculata >Oryza sativa >Arachis hypogea>Discorea spp > Manihot esculenta). The raided crop however varies significantly (χ2 = 324.68, df = 6, p<0.02) across the selected communities.

1. J.A. Ogunjobi, Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

   Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

2. A.J. Adeola, Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

   Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

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