By Pozo, R.A., LeFlore, E.G., Duthie, A.B., Bunnefeld, N., Jones, I.L., Minderman, J., Rakotonarivo, O.S. and Cusack, J.J. on June 04, 2020
Most studies on human-wildlife impacts focus on a single species, over-simplifying complex systems of human-wildlife interactions. Here, we characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of impacts by 8 co-occurring wild species on agricultural livelihoods in northern Botswana. More than 50% of reported incidents were due to crop-damage by African elephants during the wet season; and carnivores were involved in incidents related to livestock loss during the dry months. Thus, local communities face distinct livelihood challenges from different species at different times of the year. Multi-species assessments have important implications for our understanding of the costs of living alongside wildlife, and to design appropriate and feasible conservation interventions.