Evaluation of Wildlife Poaching Incidence and Livelihood Conflicts in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State

This study evaluates wildlife poaching incidence and the livelihood conflicts underlying poaching behaviour at and around Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State, North East Nigeria. Yankari is Nigeria's most visited national park and one of West Africa's most significant elephant sanctuaries, yet illegal hunting and resource extraction by communities in the reserve buffer zone remain significant conservation threats. Anti-poaching patrol records from the Bauchi State Wildlife Management Agency for 2020 to 2023 were analysed to map poaching incident locations, seasonality, species targeted, and method of detection. Field interviews were conducted with 80 farming and pastoral households in eight communities surrounding the reserve boundary, examining livelihood dependencies on reserve resources, perceptions of wildlife as agricultural pests, and attitudes towards conservation. Ranger interviews (12 respondents) documented patrol challenges and enforcement limitations. Results show that 312 poaching incidents were recorded in the four-year period, with bushmeat hunting and human-wildlife conflict retaliation each accounting for approximately 40 percent of incidents. Poaching frequency is highest in the dry season when alternative food sources are most limited. Communities in the narrowest buffer zones report the most frequent crop-raiding by wildlife, particularly elephants, creating retaliatory killing motivation. Ranger patrol coverage is insufficient relative to the reserve area, with an average patrol frequency of once every 18 days for most reserve sections. The study concludes that conservation-livelihood trade-offs are the fundamental driver of poaching. Recommendations include an expanded community benefit-sharing scheme and a crop protection fund for wildlife-affected farmers. Keywords: wildlife poaching, Yankari Game Reserve, conservation, human-wildlife conflict, Bauchi State.