Wildlife - human conflict in Kenya: integrating wildlife conservation with human needs in the Masai Mara region

Abstract

Masai Mara, a large nature reserve ln south-western Kenya, was created ln the mldst 01 semi-arld agropastorallst rangelands to protect wlldllle. Wildllle and indlgenous people co-exlsted lor many years, usually wlth IImlted conflict; but in recent years, the conflict has Intenslfied, mainly due to Increaslng human population, changing land use patterns, and altered perceptions 01 wildllle. This study examines the causes and nature 01 wlldllle-human confilct ln the Maasal rangelands of Kenya, and conslders how wildllfe conservation and human development needs can best be Integrated. Flndlngs Indicate that common conflicts are IIvestock depredatlon and crop damage, human deaths or Injuries, transmission of dlseases, and competition for resources. Land surroundlng the reserve can be dlvlded Into Iwo distinct topographlc and agrocllmatlc reglons. The degree of conflict Is spatlally varled wlthln the reglon. Upland ranches have hlgh land use potentlal, high human and IIvestock population denslties, and more development of agriculture. They experlence IImlted conflict with wildllfe. Lowland ranches are more arld, have lower human population denslty and IIttle agriculture, but have hlgh wildlife and IIvestock population densltles and experience a hlgh degree of confllct. These confllcts vary seasonally, and wlth distance from the protected area. Perceptions of wildllfe and attitudes towards conservation are related to past experlence wlth wlldllfe. The degree of loss, effectlveness of damage control, falrness of government compensation, and Involvement ln wlldllfe tourlsm affect the degree of tolerance for wlldllfe confllct. Varlous soclo-economlc factors Includlng level of education, knowledge of conservation prlorltles, and system of land ownershlp are related to attitudes towards wlldllfe. As human activlty Increases ln the reglon, wlldlife 15 more IIkely to be dlsplaced. Because most animais are mlgratory, conflict ln the land surroundlng the reserve puts the vlabllity of animai population ln the protected area in question. A Iwo-phase pr:lgram for Integrating wlldlife conservation wlth human needs Is proposed. The tlrat phase Involves deslgnatlon of the reglon Into four zones: Zone A - the protected area, Zone B -the peripheral area, Zone C - multiple usa, and Zone 0 - agriculture. The second phase of the program Is the Integration of the wlldllfe conservation wlth human Interests through: communlty wildllfe-damage-control, compensation for 1055, sharing of tourlsm benefits with local people, conservation education, and local participation in wildlife conservation pollcy. The program provides a framework wlthln which operational decislons can be made, and serves broader natural resource management and communlty development objectives ln the rangelands•