Intl. J. of Mol. Ecol. and Conserv. 2012, Vol. 2, No.4, 21-25
21
Research Report Open Access
Economic Damages of Primates on Farmlands in Old Oyo National
Park Neighborhood
O.O. Oduntan , O.A. Akintunde , O.A. Adesina , S.O.Ojo , A.O. Oladoye
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Corresponding author email:
Authors
International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2012, Vol.2, No.4 doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2012.02.0004
Received: 14 Sep., 2012
Accepted: 30 Sep., 2012
Published: 31 Oct., 2012
© 2012 Oduntan et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Oduntan et al., 2012, Economic Damages of Primates on Farmlands in Old Oyo National Park Neighborhood, International Journal of Molecular Ecology and
Conservation, Vol.2, No.4, 21-25 (doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2012.02.0004)
Abstract
This paper investigated an estimated amount of losses incur due to damages caused by Primates on farmlands and the
methods of control in the neighborhood of Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria. Primary data were collected and used for the study. Data were
collected through the use of open-ended questionnaires administered to all the affected farmers in the study area. Non-probability
snowballing method was used in locating and sampling affected farmers. The result revealed that an estimated average of N3 979.18±5.79,
N3 981.33±3.67, N3 974.60±6.85, N3 905.85±6.32 worth of Yam tubers were lost by each farmer in Abanla, Imodi, Budo Alhaji and Fomu
villages respectively. Also, an estimated average of N67 656.35±420.90, N68 248.14±500.97, N66 094.73±482.22, N67 817.90±554.17
worth of maize were lost on farmlands by each farmer at Abanla, Imodi, Budo Alhaji and Fomu villages respectively. In addition, an
estimated average of N4 780.13±1.53, N3 993.09±4.50, N5 834.50±4.48, N5 321.33±3.99 worth of cassava plants or tubers were lost
to primate in the respective villages mentioned. Furthermore, most of the respondents (43.33%, 50.00%, 39.30% and 46.15% at
Abanla, Imodi, Budo Alhaji and Fomu respectively) engaged the use of fire arms in the control of Primates on their farmlands.
Results also shows that three basic techniques used in controlling damages by Primates in the study areas are; fire arms, traps and
chasing. Recommendations were made based on the outcome of the study.
Keywords
Wildlife; Conservation; Damage control; Conflicts
Problem animal control, world-wide is a controversial
subject and there is considerable debate regarding the
removal of problem species, particularly in the more
developed countries where possible ramifications to
the ecology have been realized. All animals (be it
herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, birds, insect, pisces
etc.) form a vital component of the workings of a
stable and balanced environment. In such undisturbed
or natural ecosystem, they interact with one another,
holding each other in balance. The role of wildlife in
the ecological set up especially as pertaining to
maintaining an ecological balance in the function and
structure of an ecosystem can be over emphasized. A
study of the transfer or transmission of energy through
the ecosystems in the food chain and food webs shows
that the functioning of the systems and sustenance of
life in it is performed by all the components making
up the ecosystem (Oduntan, 2006, unpublished data).
However, some wildlife are regarded as pests because
they damage some components of the habitat that are
of economic interest to man and this may seriously
impair man’s effort to produce food (Evans, 1987).
Hamilton et al (1987) defined a pest species has any
organism, animal or plant which harms or cause
damage to man, his animal, crop and that even cause
annoyance to him. Wildlife damage problems varies
from place to place depending on the species involved,
with varying type and level of damage to cultivated
crops in the field resulting in decreases in the quantity
and quality of food available for consumption as well
as poor income and standard of living of farmers
(
Johnson, 1986).
Throughout the world, primates have come in conflict
with humans; they often damage farmer’s crops,
livestocks and some have also been known to injure or
even kill people (Newman, 2004; Groves, 2005). They
may also feed upon the same natural foods that people
and livestock eat, thus competing with humans for
