A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus
The common hippopotamus is an extant African megaherbivore that is relatively understudied by scientists and underfunded by conservation organisations. Conflict with people, however, is a major concern given the danger that hippos pose to human life. Moreover, very little is known about human–hippo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Conservation Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.954722/full |
| _version_ | 1811280046637187072 |
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| author | Shaya van Houdt Lochran W. Traill Lochran W. Traill |
| author_facet | Shaya van Houdt Lochran W. Traill Lochran W. Traill |
| author_sort | Shaya van Houdt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The common hippopotamus is an extant African megaherbivore that is relatively understudied by scientists and underfunded by conservation organisations. Conflict with people, however, is a major concern given the danger that hippos pose to human life. Moreover, very little is known about human–hippo conflict (HHC), and experimental fieldwork on mitigation methods has hardly been conducted. Here we conduct an exhaustive review of the primary and grey literature outlining how the conflict between people and hippos arises, the impacts of conflict on both human communities and hippo populations, and all known intervention measures. Our review highlights the effectiveness of barriers around crops, riparian buffer zones (that exclude cattle and crop planting), and payments for environmental services as tools to mitigate HHC. This study also highlights the knowledge gaps in HHC research, particularly the spatial scale of HHC, the lack of field experimental research on deterrents, and a paucity of knowledge on outcomes of projected climate change and HHC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:07:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-681e9fc79df34a06aa7a2070dd50532e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-611X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:07:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Conservation Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-681e9fc79df34a06aa7a2070dd50532e2022-12-22T03:09:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Conservation Science2673-611X2022-09-01310.3389/fcosc.2022.954722954722A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamusShaya van Houdt0Lochran W. Traill1Lochran W. Traill2Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United KingdomSchool of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United KingdomSchool of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomThe common hippopotamus is an extant African megaherbivore that is relatively understudied by scientists and underfunded by conservation organisations. Conflict with people, however, is a major concern given the danger that hippos pose to human life. Moreover, very little is known about human–hippo conflict (HHC), and experimental fieldwork on mitigation methods has hardly been conducted. Here we conduct an exhaustive review of the primary and grey literature outlining how the conflict between people and hippos arises, the impacts of conflict on both human communities and hippo populations, and all known intervention measures. Our review highlights the effectiveness of barriers around crops, riparian buffer zones (that exclude cattle and crop planting), and payments for environmental services as tools to mitigate HHC. This study also highlights the knowledge gaps in HHC research, particularly the spatial scale of HHC, the lack of field experimental research on deterrents, and a paucity of knowledge on outcomes of projected climate change and HHC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.954722/fullAfricahippopotamusconflict mitigationhuman wildlife conflictfreshwater ecology |
| spellingShingle | Shaya van Houdt Lochran W. Traill Lochran W. Traill A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus Frontiers in Conservation Science Africa hippopotamus conflict mitigation human wildlife conflict freshwater ecology |
| title | A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus |
| title_full | A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus |
| title_fullStr | A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus |
| title_full_unstemmed | A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus |
| title_short | A synthesis of human conflict with an African megaherbivore; the common hippopotamus |
| title_sort | synthesis of human conflict with an african megaherbivore the common hippopotamus |
| topic | Africa hippopotamus conflict mitigation human wildlife conflict freshwater ecology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.954722/full |
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