Yankari Game Reserve Social Survey Final Report
Author(s): Dr. Janet P. Plang; Prof. Shiiwua A. Manu; Dr. Sahmicit K. Kumswa
Description/Abstract: Yankari Game Reserve is located in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria. It was established as a Game Preservation Unit of the Northern Region of Nigeria in January 1956 when there was a concern for the observed depletion of fauna resources of the Northern Region. It was upgraded to a National Park in 1991 and managed by the National Parks Service until 2006 when the responsibility of the management of the reserve was handed back to the Bauchi State Government. Since 2014 Yankari has been managed through a co-management agreement between the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Bauchi State Government. Over time there has been an increase in human population and livelihood activities in the communities surrounding the reserve leading to poaching, illegal trade in animal parts, felling of trees including illegal gathering of non-timber forest products from the reserve. Levels of human-wildlife conflict increased as farmlands gradually extended to the very edge of Yankari. The research was carried out during March/April 2021 and addressed five key objectives: conduct a social baseline/needs assessment in the communities around Yankari GR; collect qualitative and quantitative data from a sample of communities surrounding Yankari to understand socio-economic profile and development challenges to inform a community development strategy and the design of an alternative livelihoods program.; gather information on the illegal wildlife trade in the communities surrounding Yankari; to better understand human elephant conflict (HEC) around the reserve and propose possible solutions and build partnerships with local communities for enhanced law enforcement. The qualitative research method was preferred and utilized as a better tool for the goal desired. A purposive sampling technique was used to select twelve communities from the three districts surrounding Yankari, namely, Duguri, Gwana and Pali. Four communities from each district were selected. In each of these communities, two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were held, one for adult males and another for adult females resulting in twenty-four FGDs. In addition, key informant interviews (KIIs) with relevant stakeholders were held also, where each of the twelve communities provided three key informants comprising of two males and one female for interviews, giving a total of 36 KIIs conducted.
Publisher: Wildlife Conservation Society, Nigeria
Full Citation: Plang, J.P., S.A. Manu, and S.A. Kumswa (2022). Yankari Game Reserve Social Survey Final Report. Calabar, Nigeria: Wildlife Conservation Society, Nigeria, 1-43.