An evidence-based compensation scheme for wildlife damages in giant panda reserves in Sichuan, China

Wildlife damage drives the human-wildlife conflict that threaten the management of nature reserves, and the economic losses caused by damage should be compensated. To estimate the economic losses caused by wildlife damage, the household income composition and wildlife infringement of the farmers were investigated by surveying 36 communities in nine administrative areas around the Sichuan, China giant panda nature reserves. A total of 557 households were surveyed, with a response rate of 77.4%. Results show, about 41% of the surveyed households experienced wildlife damage. The main types of wildlife causing damage are wild boars, bears, and monkeys. Agricultural and forestry production accounted for the highest portion of the incurred wildlife damage. Most of the respondents who suffered wildlife damage did not receive compensation. Based on the data, a compensation scheme was proposed to alleviate wildlife damage in Sichuan.