Prevalence of Human-Elephant Conflict and Its Socioeconomic Impacts in Communities around Idanre Forest Reserve, Ondo State

Human-wildlife conflict, particularly involving forest elephants, constitutes a major barrier to conservation acceptance among rural communities in southwestern Nigeria. Idanre Forest Reserve in Ondo State harbours one of the few remaining forest elephant populations in the region, yet systematic documentation of conflict patterns and their socioeconomic consequences is lacking. This study examines the frequency, spatial distribution, and livelihood impacts of human-elephant conflict in twelve communities adjacent to the reserve. Structured household surveys were administered to 210 farming households, capturing crop raid incidents, injury events, and economic losses over a twelve-month reference period. GPS coordinates of reported incident locations were mapped to identify conflict hotspots. Focus group discussions explored community attitudes toward elephant conservation and existing coping strategies. Results show that 68% of surveyed households experienced at least one crop raid incident in the reference period, with cassava, maize, and yam as the most affected crops. Estimated economic losses averaged N147,000 per affected household per annum. Conflict hotspots clustered near water sources and fruiting tree aggregations within the reserve-community interface. Community attitudes toward elephants were predominantly negative, directly linked to uncompensated losses. The study recommends establishment of a formal conflict reporting and compensation mechanism under the Ondo State Forestry Commission to build conservation goodwill. Keywords: human-elephant conflict, crop raiding, Idanre Forest Reserve, wildlife management, community attitudes