Diagnosis of wildlife conflicts in the inter-Andean dry valley of Vilcabamba, southern Andes of Ecuador.

Abstract

Wildlife-people conflicts are one of the most critical issues in urban and rural environments around the world. In spite of being a growing subject of study, there are still important gaps in knowledge regarding its dynamics and impact, mainly when the subject involves minor species such as foxes, opossums and squirrels, or particular ecosystems that have not received much research interest, such as the inter-Andean valleys. Ecuador is a country in which the primary economy of the rural peasantry is based on smallholder production processes, which is why wildlife attacks on domestic animals or crops are a serious problem for peasant families. This study was carried out in the dry inter-Andean valley of Vilcabamba, in southern Ecuador. Using semi-structured interviews, a general diagnosis of conflicts between wildlife and local people was made. Two main types of conflicts were identified: predation of domestic animals and damage to crops, and others considered secondary: medicinal use of wildlife and ophidiophobia. The main species involved in the conflicts are Simosciurus nebouxii, Didelphis marsupialis, Neogale frenata, Lycalopex culpaeus and some species of diurnal birds of prey. In addition, it was identified that the basic response of local people to this type of conflict is the lethal control of the problem species by different means (poisoning, hunting). The information presented here constitutes a key baseline for the future management of this type of conflict in this study locality.