TY - JOUR
T1 - Human and ecological risk factors for unprovoked lion attacks on humans in Southeastern Tanzania
AU - Kushnir, Hadas
AU - Leitner, Helga
AU - Ikanda, Dennis
AU - Packer, Craig
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Lions (Panthera leo) have attacked over 1,000 people in Tanzania since 1990. We worked in the two districts with the highest number of attacks, Rufiji and Lindi, and conducted interviews in two villages with high attack numbers and two neighboring villages with no attacks. Logistic regression analysis of 128 questionnaires revealed the following risk factors: ownership of fewer assets, poorly constructed houses/huts, longer walking distances to resources, more nights sleeping outdoors, increased sightings of bush pigs (Potamochoerus porcus), and lower wild prey diversity. A comparative analysis revealed significant differences between the two districts: while high bush pig and low prey numbers affected both districts, hut construction was only significant in Rufiji, and walking distances, asset ownership, sleeping outdoors, and house construction were only significant in Lindi. Such information will help relevant authorities develop site-specific methods to prevent lion attacks and can inform similar research to help prevent human-carnivore conflict worldwide.
AB - Lions (Panthera leo) have attacked over 1,000 people in Tanzania since 1990. We worked in the two districts with the highest number of attacks, Rufiji and Lindi, and conducted interviews in two villages with high attack numbers and two neighboring villages with no attacks. Logistic regression analysis of 128 questionnaires revealed the following risk factors: ownership of fewer assets, poorly constructed houses/huts, longer walking distances to resources, more nights sleeping outdoors, increased sightings of bush pigs (Potamochoerus porcus), and lower wild prey diversity. A comparative analysis revealed significant differences between the two districts: while high bush pig and low prey numbers affected both districts, hut construction was only significant in Rufiji, and walking distances, asset ownership, sleeping outdoors, and house construction were only significant in Lindi. Such information will help relevant authorities develop site-specific methods to prevent lion attacks and can inform similar research to help prevent human-carnivore conflict worldwide.
KW - Human-wildlife conflict
KW - Mitigation
KW - Predators
KW - Risk
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957696506&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77957696506&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10871200903510999
DO - 10.1080/10871200903510999
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77957696506
SN - 1087-1209
VL - 15
SP - 315
EP - 331
JO - Human Dimensions of Wildlife
JF - Human Dimensions of Wildlife
IS - 5
ER -