Assessment of the Effect of Wild Animals on Cocoa Farms in Boki Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria
Ovat Innocent Ovat *
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Cross River State, Calabar, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study assessed the effects of wild animals on cocoa farms in Boki Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria, with emphasis on the species associated with farm damage, the nature and extent of damage, farmers’ experiences of cocoa-wildlife conflict, and locally relevant management responses. A descriptive survey design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data through structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and field observations. Eighty cocoa farmers from four communities participated in the study. The majority of respondents were male (91.25%), and the largest educational category comprised respondents with no formal education (35%). Mammals constituted most of the wild animals identified as damaging cocoa farms, with affected plant parts including pods, bark, trees, beans, leaves, and roots. More than half of respondents (53.75%) reported observing wild animals on or near their cocoa farms, while 57.5% agreed that rodents, monkeys, bats, insects, and snakes attacked cocoa farms. Loss of cocoa pods (50%) was the most frequently reported form of conflict. Lack of knowledge (36.25%) and local taboos (28.75%) were prominent management challenges. Training and workshops (31.25%) and community awareness programmes (25.00%) were the principal forms of support considered useful, whereas 51.25% of respondents considered local authorities ineffective in managing cocoa-wildlife conflicts. The findings support locally adapted, non-lethal management approaches that integrate cocoa production with wildlife conservation and sustainable landscape management.
Keywords: Effect, wild, cocoa, farms, animals, assessment