Attitude and perceptions of local communities towards the conservation value of gibe Sheleko national park, Southwestern Ethiopia

The study assessed the attitude and perceptions of the local communities towards Gibe Sheleko National Park. The data was collected from three districts of Gurage Zone. Ten sample kebeles of the selected districts were selected by purposive sampling method based on the level interaction, distance from the park, and dependency on the park. The sample size of the respondents was 5% of the total households from each selected kebeles. Household survey, key informant interview, field observation, and focus group discussion were employed to collect the data. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 23 software. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analysis major determinant factors for perception and attitude of the local communities. The perception and attitude of the local communities towards the conservation values of Gibe Sheleko National Park showed a significant difference in education level, sex of respondents, distance from the park, and land owning inside or adjoin the park. Therefore, it can be concluded that sex, distance of settlement from the park, academic level and land owning inside or adjoining the park were the major determinant factors that influence perception and attitude of the local communities. Attending high level of education, far proximity from the park and male communities better understood the importance of wildlife and park. Therefore, to encourage partnership with adjacent community and implement conservation measure and awareness creation for local communities by considering these factors that affect on the attitude and perception of local communities towards Gibe Sheleko National Park.