Abstract:
The purpose of the study is to assess perception and practices of the local people towards wild
life conservation in Semen Mountain National Park in North Gondar Administrative Zone,
Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Convergent research design was taken as an appropriate research
design since the study used mixed data from quantitative and qualitative sources. This study used
a mixed research approach by which both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were
applied. Debark Janamora and Adiarqay woredas from North Gondar Zone were selected using
purposive sampling technique and included in the study where the study was conducted in six
kebeles, two from each the three woredas. 344 households participated in the study. Data to the
study were gathered using survey questionnaires and interview. Data were analyzed using
quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques. The results indicated that most of the
respondents were well aware of the importance of caring wild animals and protecting them. The
households thought that conservation of wildlife is benefiting the local people through providing
food, through tourist attraction and in keeping environmental balance. Through this they
indicated that money can be obtained; and, some animals eat pests so that their crops would be
protected from damage. The respondents in all were positive in their perception towards
protecting their surrounding environment and the wild animals. On the other hand, more
numbers of the households haven’t taken awareness raising training on the conservation of
wildlife in the locality. It was found that wildlife conservation strategies that are being taken in
the locality currently are not positively felt by most of the households. It was also found that
measures of protecting illegal hunting; and integrating development and conservation practices
were not effectively considered. Of course, there were some factors that are affecting the
practices of wild-animals conservation like increasing population of indigenous forest dwellers;
increases in human population density; new settlements; expansion of agricultural lands to the
forest; grazing; loss of sense of ownership of land; transport infrastructures like construction of
road; lack of adequate attention by the government; lack of legal frameworks; and insufficient
financial and material resources for law enforcing personnel are all significant factors of
affecting the practices of wild-animals conservation.
