Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Local Community Perceptions Towards Lion Conservation: A Case of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

A overwhelming majority (86%) of local communities near the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, hold negative perceptions towards lions, primarily driven by socioeconomic factors. Key influences include education level, occupation, livestock numbers and management, water source availability, and proximity to protected areas. The study, based on surveys and interviews with 384 households, highlights that higher education correlates with more positive attitudes (p=0.0016), while livestock-related challenges and distance from the reserve exacerbate negative sentiment (p<0.05). Compensation for lion attack victims is recommended to mitigate hostility towards the species.

Gayo, L., Nahonyo, C. L., & Masao, C. A. (2020). Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Local Community Perceptions Towards Lion Conservation: A Case of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 56(3), 480–494. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909620929382