The Role of Local Communities in Conserving Endangered Species (Case study: Persian Fallow Deer in Khuzestan Province, Iran)

Nowadays, dispersal of Persian fallow dear (Dama mesopotamica) is restricted to the forests and woodlands near Dez and Karkheh rivers in southwestern Iran. However, there are no reliable data for the species from these regions in recent years. The present study aims to assess the knowledge of local communities and the importance of the endangered species from the perspective of the human communities. A total of 500 respondents belong to 27 localities (situated in Dezful, Shush and Andimeshk counties) surrounding the study area were interviewed representing different local communities. The respondents were selected randomly to avoid serious bias. The findings showed that more than 56% of the respondents did not even know that the fallow deer is one of the wildlife species in the study area. About 16.4 percent of people (mainly older people) claimed to have seen the species in natural habitats of Dez and Karkhe protected areas. Moreover, roughly 73 percent of respondents claimed that they have a high willingness to observe the Persian fallow deer in natural habitats of the study area. In this respect, more than half of participants are willing to pay from one to 1.5 dollars per one to observe deer in the protected areas. The majority of respondents (86.4%) believed that poaching and habitat destruction are the most important factors threatening the Persian fallow deer in the study area. Gaurenteed sustainable conservation is of high importance for most people (67.8%). The willingness to pay in order to establish a fund for conservation of Persian fallow deer was estimated between one to seven dollars annually. Raising community awareness of Persian fallow deer biology and its national and global importance, introducing the species as a flagship and using community-based management were recommended as suitable conservation strategies for the Persian fallow deer.
Extended Abstract
1- Introduction
Nowadays, it has been emphasized on the management approaches which interferes the local community in the decision processes introduced as an appropriate approach in wildlife management. Hereupon, achieving an estimation of local communities' awareness level and utilizing theirtraditional knowledge in safeguarding wildlife, is one of significant aspects. Persian fallow deer, as an endangered species, is naturally limited to the small range of habitat merely around Dez and Karkheh rivers in Khuzestan province (Iran). Nonetheless, there is no attributable information about the presence and the remnants of wild populations living in these areas. The preset study aims at assessing the level of local communities' knowledge in association with biological conditions of Persian fallow deer and also the protective importance of this species in these communities' sight in Dez and Karkheh protected areas.
2- Materials and Methods
In the present study, statistical population includes 27 urban and rural settlements inside and around Dez and Karkheh protected areas. Sample size was determined by Cochran's sample size formula which was calculated 417 persons at 5% level of significance. In order to enhance the validity of the questionnaire, the data were gathered as written and verbal form from the experts in universities and other related organization who have specialty in the studied subject. 55 questionnaires were filled out by the studied statistical population to determine reliability of the questionnaires. Then, Cronbach's alpha method was used to determine the questionnaire's reliability.Alpha was assessed around 0.84, which shows that the questionnaire has high reliability.
3- Results and Discussion
From a demographic point of view, about 52.4% of respondents were women and residual percent 47.6 were men. About 40% of contributors, are in the range of 15 to 25 years old. From the literacy point of view, there were only 2.6% of the people illiterate and about 35% of contributors have academic education.
56.1% of contributors have no information about presence of Persian fallow deer in Dez and Karkheh protected areas. Furthermore, about 72.7% announced that they have so much inclination to see this species in the range of natural habitats of the province. According to willingness to pay, it was found that 54.3% of respondents have tendency to pay about 0.56 -1.12 USD (20000-40000 I.R Rials) in order to see Persian fallow deer, each time, and about 5.9% have tendency to pay about 2.23- 2.79 USD (80000-100000 I.R Rials) to see it once. According to contributors' opinion (32.7% of the people) sailing skin and horn, providing food (28.6%), recreational hunting (24%) and sailing meat (14.6%) have been the most important factors in hunting Persian fallow deer in the past. Accordingly, 45.5% of the responders believed that unauthorized hunting is the most important Persian fallow deer's threat factor. Habitat destruction (40.9%),hunting by wild animals (8%) and appearance of alien species (5.4%) are the other threat factors of this species which responders have mentioned. According to the most of contributors' opinion, assurance protection and species' sustainable survival are more important (68%) for them. The willingness to pay has been estimated about 0.84- 5.58 USD (30000 to 2000000 I.R Rials) per year in order to establish a trust fund for better preserving of this deer.
According to the findings, a significant relationship has been estimated between gender and their desire to see fallow deer in the natural habitat of Dez and Karkheh (X²=24.922, df=4, p<0.01) as well as between type of occupation (Income level) and tendency to pay some money to see fallow deer for once (X²=63.159, df=12, p<0.01). Moreover, a significant relationship has been obtained between income level and the amount of desired payment as the annual membership fee to join the fund (X²=41.651, df=16, p<0.01), age and tendency to see fallow deer for once (X²=55.544, df=4, p<0.01), age and tendency of cooperation in the designed programs to preserve of fallow deer (X²=37.381, df=16, p<0.01) and level of protection importance of fallow deer and tendency to cooperate with the designed programs for protection of fallow deer (X²=197.043, df=16, p<0.01).
4- Conclusion
Now, there is not enough information about Persian fallow deer in the natural habitat of Dez and Karkheh. On the other hand, it seems that protecting these species from extinction is one of the successes of wildlife management in Iran. Notwithstanding, Persian fallow deer is still as an endangered species due to its small size population. Hence, accessing to the sufficient knowledge of biological condition of these species in natural habitat is very essential. According to our findings, one of the considerable points is that about 56.1% of contributors, who are resident of surrounding areas of Persian fallow deer's habitat, have no information about the presence of this species in Dez and Karkheh areas. Nevertheless, high percentages of local residents have tendency to cooperate with the projects which increase the assurance of better protection of fallow deer. So, it can be obtained more success in protection of this species and habitat by considering approaches such as increasing different communities' awareness toward the biology of fallow deer and its protecting importance, introducing the fallow deer as a flagship species and utilizing popular supports for implementation of the plans.