Data from: Some of supporting data for attitude of respondents towards wildlife conservation

The study was conducted between September 2018 and March 2019 to investigate the nature and extent of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the surrounding area of Alage College, the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia and to assess the perception of the local people to wildlife. For data collection, a total of 140 household heads were selected randomly for interviews from nine villages using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Moreover, focus group discussion, key informant interviews, and personal observation were carried out to obtain additional information. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test (2 tailed), one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Likert scale statements were used to analyze the data. Based on, 66 (47.1%) of the respondents, households heads, the local people of the area experienced livestock predation leading to HWC. Whereas, (40.7%, n=57) of the respondents perceived both crop damage and livestock predation as a cause of conflict. A total of 932.43 Total Livestock Unit (TLU) of livestock and 218 dogs’ losses were reported by households due to predators over the last five years. Thus, the largest numbers of livestock (89.9%) and dogs (100%) attacks was happened due to spotted hyenas. Nearly half of the respondents (49.3%, n = 69) ranked warthogs as the primary crop raiders, while the majority of respondents (82.1%, n = 115) reported maize as a severely damaged cereal crop. More than half, (57.1%, n=80) of respondents used different methods simultaneously to minimize damage caused by wild animals. About half, (48.6%, n=68) of respondents had negative attitude towards wildlife conservation. The level of education and amount of money imposed as a penalty for illegal grazing were affecting the local community's attitudes to wildlife conservation. Using effective methods reduce damage and loss to crop including, improved livestock husbandry, and creating better awareness to the local community could make the locals actor of conservation. The data has been collected by using quesstionnaire interviews, focus group disscutions, key informant interviews and personal observations and data were analyzed using SPSS software and Excel. Data will be used as supporting information of the a manuscript in progress of publication at Ecology and Evolution.