| dc.description.abstract | Conservation biology has two main goals: first, to understand the effects of human
activities on species, communities and ecosystems, and second, to develop practical
approaches to preventing extinction of species. The development of practical
approaches to conservation is needed to prevent species extinctions. Law
Enforcement Monitoring is one such technique where findings are used as
management tool for improving conservation strategies and research oriented
management actions.
Poaching has been identified as the most important factor contributing to the decline
of large mammal numbers and changes in their distribution in Garamba National
Park. The protection effort put into the anti-poaching in Garamba National Park has
not been, so far, able to stop the increasing poaching pressure on wild mammals.
Because the effectiveness of anti-poaching patrol is judged by its ability to detect and
stop illegal activities within the protected area, the detectability of indicators of illegal
activities occurring in the park was worth assessing.
The aim of this study was to establish the distribution of poaching activities In
Garamba National Park and devise means and methods of improving law enforcement
systems applicable to the Park. The-stratified sampling method was used and data .
were collected within proportionate transects set",liPwithin each stratum. Information
on poaching indicators was collected within transects along patrol routes followed by
". ~ rangers. The Conventional Distance sampling method (Buckland et al., 1993) was
used to estimates the abundance and the detection ranges of illegal activities in the
park. Historical records on poaching intensity and anti-poaching patrols were also
used to assess the trend ofthe Catch-per-Unit Effort of the anti-poaching systems
during the last decade in the park.
Results showed- that poaching activities occurred in the park through out the study
period. The detection rates of indicators of poaching activities differed significantly
between seasons (to.05 (I), 125 = 3.97; p < 0.05). The detection rates also varied
significantly within strata during the. period of study (F2, 125 = 7.10; P < 0.05).
Gunshots and carcasses were abundant in stratum 3 during the dry season, while
detection of vultures linked to fresh carcasses increased in stratum 1 during the wet
season. This suggested that poachers moved from northern to the southern sector of
the park killing animals of whose carcasses attracted flocks of vultures in the area.
The occurrence of poaching indicators were independent of habitat types during the
dry season (G = 30.9; d.f. = 35) and the wet season (G = 76.8; d.f= 35). There was a
positive but not significant correlation between vegetation types and the occurrence of
poaching indicators in both seasons during the period of study (r = 0.14; p > 0.05).
The rate of detection of poaching indicators increased with the increased patrol
distance from fixed patrol bases compared to the rate detected by patrol near bases
both during the dry season (to as (1), 66 = 66.0; P < 0.05) and wet season (to.os (1), 61 =
61.0; p <0.05). There were also significant differences between patrol methods used
in detecting illegal activities in the park (F3, 4 = 34.25; p < 0.05). Foot patrol method
was more effective than other patrol methods because of its ability to detect all types
of illegal activities and to carry out active deterrent actions to poaching invasions.
There was a strong correlation between the patrol effort and the killing of elephants
between 1996 and 2004 in the park (r = 0.39; p < 0.01). The effectiveness of the antipoaching
system used in Garamba National Park within the past decade declined
remarkably as well resulting in the decline in large mammalian population numbers.
Elephants and rhinos were the most targeted species especially for trophies.
Some recommendations were formulated for the improvement of the protection effort
through the increased cover and deterrent actiens. Other conservation approaches
involving active anti-poaching strategies, local corrnnunity-based conservation may
be put into practice to detect and deter poaching invasions from the planning stage | en |
