For the conservation of wildlife and the preparation of management plans for protected areas, it is essential to identify threats to conservation areas and their corresponding seriousness. Habitat degradation, poaching, drought, disease, road side killing, poor law enforcement, predation and disintegrated development were identified as a conservation threats for Grevy zebra in Alledeghi-Assebot Proposed National Park. The result gained through key informant interview that is held with community elders, pastoralist and indigenous peoples who have lived in and around the study area support the quantitative data.
Habitat Degradation
In the present study, habitat degradation has taken the top position as conservation threats of Grevy's zebra. Expansion of exotic species, overgrazing, human-caused fire, and local community use of Alledeghi plain grass for various purposes are all significant issues. From day to day, the grassland area from where Grevys zebra feeds shrinks due to the invasion of invasive species (Parthenium hysterophorus, Abutilon figarianum, Prosopis juliflora ) that are the main threats for grassland habitat where Grevy’s zebras feed and spend most of its time. By affecting native species directly and indirectly as well as having an impact on larger scale ecological patterns and processes, nonnative or alien species constitute a serious threat to protected areas, according to Cole and Landres (1996). They also contribute to habitat degradation. Human activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, bush fires, urbanization and agricultural investment are the principle causes of habitat destruction. Our research supports the findings of the Kenyan Grevy's zebra Technical Committee's assessment and ranking of the threats to the species, which places habitat loss and degradation brought on by extremely intensive livestock grazing at the top of the list (Rubenstein, 2010, Low et al. 2009). Our findings also add information on the study result of (Kebede and Moehlman 2008) in the same study site. In Ethiopia, vegetation is purposefully burnt to encourage the growth of green grass for cattle to graze on. Other significant factors contributing to forest fires in lowland areas include the use of fire as a hunting aid, tsetse fly control, and tick population management. Fires are the main method used to clear forest area for agricultural use in the highlands, where there is considerable population increase. Another reason why forest fires start is when people smoke out wild bees in order to collect honey. The ancient practice of using fire to clear land for agriculture and the rapid population development make forest fires more destructive (IFFN, 2001; Goldammer and deRonde, 2004). The direct effect of fire on forest fauna is death. Long-term and far-reaching indirect effects of fires include stress, a loss of habitat, territory, shelter, and food (Vernes, 2000). Both large and small creatures, including coyotes, white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, bison, black bears, and moose, have died directly from fire (French and French, 1996).
Poor Law Enforcement And Its Impact
The best approach to stop additional biodiversity loss is through law enforcement, which is also required for effective management of PAs as a common good. Galindo (2009) argues that under the basic and optimal levels of management, the patrolling standards that a ranger was expected to cover were 10 km2 and 5 km2, respectively. The present mean coverage in the Alledeghi Assebot protected area is 62.9 km2, which is substantially below the established standard when taking into account the aforesaid patrolling standard. A protected area may take more of the characteristics of an open-access resource due to a breakdown in law enforcement, allowing residents of the surrounding area to gain more from wildlife resources through greater unlawful hunting (Sibanda, 1995). Studies from the past indicate that illicit hunting behavior may change in response to law enforcement initiatives. For instance, increased unlawful hunting has been related to declining animal populations as a result of ineffective law enforcement measures (Ogutu et al., 2011). On the other hand, a reduction in illegal hunting has been connected with better law enforcement measures (Leader-Williams et al., 1990; Jachmann 2008a, 2008b; Martin, 2010). Additionally, it has been observed that poaching operations decline as distance from a protected area boundary and local community profits from animal protection increase (Wilfred and MacColl, 2010; Johannesen, 2006). On the other hand, it has been noted that poaching activities intensify as the density of people inside or close to a protected area increases (Newmark, 2008; Metzger et al., 2010). However, the absence of law enforcement at the study location presents a challenge. Although it should go without saying that settlements, grazing, poaching, and other activities are banned inside the proposed Alledeghi-Assebot National Park, insufficient law enforcement has been seen to stop such behavior in this protected area during the study period. This study adds information to the earlier findings (Wale et al., 2017)
Poaching
The current study witnesses no significant impact of poaching on Grevy's zebra. The present study findings differ from a report published in Kenya, which claimed that the severe reduction of Grevy's zebra population was due to hunting for meat and medical use, the fat being used to treat ailments reported in Sibiloi, El Barta, North Horr, and South Horr (William, 2002). Poaching for bush meat is a serious problem all over Africa and endangers the survival of other wildlife (Brashares et al., 2011; MacKenzie, 2012). Increased unlawful hunting, a type of wildlife crime, frequently and results in species being overexploited to enhance short-term income while putting a natural resource in danger and destroying it for future users (Pires and Moreto, 2011).
Road Side Killing
The impact of vehicles on wildlife along the roadside puts the park's wildlife resources at danger. It has been shown that the construction of roads and other infrastructure has a detrimental effect on wildlife conservation because it isolates populations, kills more species, and destroys their habitats and connectivity (Loss et al., 2014; Dean et al., 2019). Additionally, roads change animal behavior and distribution patterns, cause more habitat disruption, and facilitate the entrance of exotic species (Fahrig and Rytwinski, 2009). Studies conducted in several parts of Ethiopia have supported our findings on how road trafficking affects the survival of numerous animal species (Sillero-Zubiri and Macdonald, 1997; Addisu A, 2008, Kiros et al., 2016 Asefa, A., Mengesha, G., and Aychew, M. 2017).
Disintegrated Development And Its Impact
The current study discovered that integrated development initiatives and wildlife conservation are having major difficulties in the studied region. There will be an increase in demand for natural resources as global population grows and economic expansion expedites. Numerous integrated conservation and development projects (ICDP) across Africa (Kiss, 1990; Hannah, 1992; Wells et al., 1992) had varying levels of success in achieving their respective conservation and development goals. According to Gibson and Marks (1995), a large number of ICDPs in Africa will fall short of their conservation objectives since the incentives provided to communities are public goods and insufficient to alter individual behavior.
Predation
The distribution, abundance, and diversity of species within ecological communities are significantly influenced by predation. Under normal circumstances, successful predation boosts the population of the predator while lowering the number of prey. The abundance of other species may then be indirectly impacted by these effects on the prey population as they may cascade throughout the biological community. Despite the fact that the number of lions has significantly increased, the present study report shows no evidence of Grevy's zebra predation in the proposed Alledeghi-Assebot National Park. Perhaps the abundance of large and medium-sized mammals in the proposed park contributed to slow down Grevy zebra predation.
The results of this study are different from those of a study carried out in Kenya, which showed that predation is a potential factor that could limit the increase of the population of Grevy's zebra within its range, particularly in protected areas (Rubenstein, 2004). The growth of the Grevy's population on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and in community areas within the larger Samburu landscape is seriously threatened by lions and potentially hyenas (Mwololo, 2006). (King and Malleret-King, 2006)
Conclusion And Recommendation
This study found that the greatest threat to Grevy zebra conservation in Alledeghi-Assebot Proposed National Park was habitat degradation, with its underlying causes of expansion of invasive species, human-caused fire, overgrazing, and the harvesting of grass for various purposes by local communities. Ethnic conflict between the Afar and Isa tribes are another significant threat to conservation in this protected area, in addition to poor law enforcement (caused by resource shortages and the absence or inadequate implementation of enabling regulations). Another urgent issue for the area is the effect of disintegrated development on animal conservation. The findings also showed that the threatening factors had negative, irreversible effects on various Alledeghi grazing plain ecological components.
Habitat restoration through grass re-seeding and planned livestock grazing should be targeted as core habitat restoration areas in Grevy’s zebra range of Alledeghi plain. Close monitoring of Grevy’s zebra population during prolonged droughts need to be carried out by scouts and additional water provision need to be made to ensure continued access to declining water sources and avoid impact of corridor closing due to settlement. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are forwarded;
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Acacia oerfota and Prosopis juliflora are the main cause of bush encroachment and environmental disturbance and adversely affecting the plain dwelling animals including Grevy's zebra by shrinking habitat and decrease quantity and quality of edible grass species. Therefore, viable solutions have to be explored and urgently implemented to minimize the expansion of these species.
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Disintegrated development practices have become a major threat factor for the conservation of Grevy's zebra in the site. Therefore, there is a need to promote integrated development implementation between different stakeholders working over the Proposed National Park.
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Government should use free range areas rather than using protected area for military exercise
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Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority should release the budget on time for Alledeghi-Assebot Proposed National Park to enable the betterment conservation and monitoring of Grevy zebra status over site.
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Establishment of artificial waterholes and making the established bore wells functional is relevant to secure the survival of the species. In addition, speed break and crossing bridges should be established depending on the behaviour of the animal in selected crossing points on the highway.
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There is a need to clear roadside vegetation to allow drivers to see the wildlife when they approach the road.