Elephants, tigers and transmigrants: Conflict and conservation at Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia

The human dimension of park-people interactions was investigated in communities near Way Kambas National Park in Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Data from rapid village assessments, a 92-item questionnaire survey, elephant conflict data logs, a database of tiger-human conflict in Sumatra, and participant observation were used in this study.; Crop-raiding by elephants was the most significant source of conflict and occurred year-round. Damage was greatest to rice, corn, coconut trees, and banana trees. Villagers guarded their fields, planted crops in synchrony, and built trenches to reduce the extent of damage. Tiger conflict was rare near this park. Across all of Sumatra, 146 people were killed and 30 injured by tigers between 1978 and 1997. The probability of conflict is hypothesized to be highest in multiple use forests where populations of tigers and people overlap. This has significance for the conservation of tigers outside protected areas.; Villagers living near the park routinely collected grass, fuel wood, fish, birds, and small mammals from the park. Extraction of larger animals, timber, and high-value non-timber forest products occurred but was less common. Nearly 90,000 people lived in the 27 villages bordering the park. The population is projected to increase greatly, increasing the demand for resources from the park.; Knowledge and attitudes toward wildlife and conservation among villagers living near the park varied. Overall support for conservation, the protected area, and its wildlife were high, but awareness about the conservation status of the Sumatra tiger was low. Gender, age, formal education, and years of residency were associated with differences in wildlife knowledge scores. Conflict with elephants was the principal problem people had with the park and was significantly associated with negative attitudes toward conservation authorities. Steps to alleviate this conflict will have broader implications for conservation of all forest resources.