with dogs, scented soap laid around the perimeter of the field, goat dung spread around
the field, clearing undergrowth around the field, weeding around crops, fencing using
local rope or wire (sometimes with snares inserted in the fences), poisoned bait scattered
among newly sown seeds to kill guinea fowl, bow and arrow and spear.
Why grow ‘at-risk’ crops?
As Hill puts it: ‘If maize is really as vulnerable to animal damage as would appear from
this study then why do people persist in growing it locally? Why not grow other, less
vulnerable crops such as sorghum and taro?’ (1997: 83). She suggests a number of
reasons. In comparison with sorghum, the standing crop of maize cobs is resistant to
bird damage and the stored crop to insect infestations. Sorghum requires more prepara-
tion time than maize. And there are cultural preferences which very often favour maize,
despite it being fairly new in Uganda.
Baboons
Hill continued her work with a 12-month study (September 1993–August 1994) which
followed up on the earlier survey in more detail, focusing on baboons (Hill 2000). During
this year, 70 instances of crop-raiding were studied, 70% of these being by baboons.
Maize and cassava were the most frequently raided crops. Of the 37 farms studied, only
15 experienced any crop damage by baboons. The average loss of crops raided per farm
was 19% for maize and 25% for cassava. No damage was recorded for farms more than
450 m from the forest edge. Those farms lying near the forest edge were statistically
more likely to suffer baboon raids than those further away (p0.001).
Attitudes to baboons were universally negative. They were perceived to be more
destructive than other pests, to come in greater numbers and to be very persistent.
‘Baboons come in large numbers and are not scared of people. When you chase them,
they run and hide and then come back. When you chase other animals they run away for
good’, said one farmer. Baboons were considered to be intelligent: ‘Baboons are a problem
because of their skills, which are like those of humans — they check for the owner from
tops of the trees, and when chased they just hide, and then return and take the crops.’
‘After feeding, baboons destroy the rest of the crop. When there are no fruits, [forest]
monkeys leave the crop; thus [forest] monkeys are better than baboons.’ ‘They just break
and sit on any food they don’t eat.’
Guarding against baboons is very time consuming, and it is easy to see why there has
been recourse to traps and snares which have at least a temporary deterrent effect on the
rest of the group. We, in the BFP, have been quite surprised at the hatred of baboons
found in villages where we have put live-traps. People were universally pleased at our
interest in their baboon problem. They have the vermin control people to whom they are
supposed to refer these problems but because of shortage of resources they receive little
or no help. This whole area of baboon control needs much more attention, and research
206 The human foreground