Human-wildlife conflicts at the interface between Mt. Kenya National Park/National Forest and small holder farming communities in Embu County (original) (raw)
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Mitigating human-wildlife conflicts through wildlife fencing: A Kenyan case study
Wildlife Biology in Practice, 2008
A study was conducted between May and August 2007 to compare the intensity of human-wildlife conflicts among local communities neighbouring a fenced wildlife protected area (Lake Nakuru National Park) and an unfenced one (Maasai Mara Game Reserve) in Kenya. A self-administered, drop-and-collect questionnaire was used to collect data from 480 (n = 600, 80% response rate) and 420 (n = 600, 70% response rate) interviewees within communities on the fringes of the National Park and Game Reserve, respectively. Five problematic species were identified around Lake Nakuru National Park and nineteen around Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Major problematic species around Lake Nauru National Park included baboon, warthog and monkey while those around Maasai Mara Game Reserve included elephant, lion, zebra and wildebeest. Major complaints against wildlife included destruction of crops and property, attacking/injuring humans, preying on domestic stock, causing fear among women and children, and being a nuisance. Some wildlife problems were season and location specific. Severity of the human-wildlife conflicts (prominence and intensity of wildlife invasions) was higher within the interface area surrounding the unfenced Game Reserve than around the fenced National Park. Fencing was found to effectively control most, but not all, problematic species. Where feasible, it is recommended to form part of the overall problematic animal management strategy.
Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 2018
Agriculture is critical in the achievement of food security, employment of creation opportunities, steering economic growth, and also a source of raw materials for agricultural industries in many Sub-Saharan countries. However, farmers face various challenges which negatively affect farm productivity and production. Human-wildlife conflict is one of the most pressing challenges that smallholder maize farmers experience in some parts of Kenya. It arises from either people’s encroachment on wildlife habitats or the movement of wildlife from their natural habitat into neighboring farmland. Small-scale farmers use various agricultural extension strategies to mitigate the conflict. However, the effectiveness of the agricultural extension mitigation strategies adopted by smallholder maize farmers in Laikipia County had not been investigated and information on the same was inadequate and poorly documented. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of the agricultural extension wildl...
International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 2016
Agriculture contributes to 30% of the global Gross Domestic Product and employs more than 2 billion people in the world. In Kenya, the agriculture sector contributes 26% of total GDP, 18% formal employment, 65% of total exports, 70% informal employment, is a source of employment food and income. However, the agriculture sector is affected by human-wildlife conflict. Although wildlife contributes significantly to national economic development, there exists human-wildlife conflict especially in unprotected wildlife habitats. Human-wildlife conflict can significantly contribute to food insecurity. However, information on its effect on food security among small-scale maize farmers in Laikipia County is inadequate and poorly documented. This study sought to establish how human-wildlife conflict affects food security among small-scale maize farmers. Document review and analysis was used in undertaking this study. A document review guide was used to collect data. It was established that human-wildlife conflict causes severe crop damage and livestock injury or even death. Although farmers use various mitigation strategies most of them traditional in nature, significant crop damage is being experienced. It was therefore concluded that human-wildlife conflict could be significantly affecting food security among small-scale maize farmers in Laikipia County. A study should be undertaken to determine the effectiveness of mitigation strategies used by small-scale farmers. Further, a study should be done to establish the influence of agricultural extension mitigation strategies on human-wildlife conflict. The information generated could be used by policy makers and agricultural extension service providers to plan better on how to mitigate the effect of human-wildlife conflict.
Natural Resources, 2014
Human-carnivore conflicts represent the most common negative form of interactions between humans and wildlife. Most carnivores involved in such conflicts are: lion, hyena, leopard and cheetah. Three strategies are normally used in Kenya to mitigate such conflicts; consolation for lost livestock and human life to increase tolerance to them, use of predator proof homesteads especially among pastoralists, use flicking lights at night to discourage approach of carnivores near homesteads, and awareness creation among communities on the ecological role of carnivores. This study examined human-carnivore interactions in privately owned conservancies near Amboseli National Park, Kenya. The conservancies were found to have almost similar human and livestock demography. However, homesteads in Elerai had more fence broken parts and relatively higher levels of livestock predation by lion and hyena. The higher the number of each livestock type was, the higher the specific predation to that livestock type was, implying density dependent effects of predation by carnivores on livestock. It seemed that the fence structure and level of maintenance (including carnivore strategies on specializing on specific livestock size and age consistent with optimizing their foraging strategies) influenced predation incidences. However, the presence of adult males and Maasai warriors (morans) in bomas did not seem to be related with the number of livestock killed by carnivores, implying that they didn't add vigilance as an additional strategy to prevent livestock depredation. It is recommended that attention be paid on maintenance of homestead and livestock fences as well as vigilance to deter predation. We further recommend strategies to prevent livestock predation such as, installation of chain link predator proof fences or carnivore lighting deterrents at night because woody plants fences are ineffective and deteriorate easily with time, and also lead to depletion of plant resources critical to households.
Wildlife crop depredation in the Luangwa Valley, eastern Zambia
2011
Wildlife crop raiding was assessed in six chiefdoms of the Luangwa Valley, eastern Zambia between 2004 and 2008 to establish nature and extent of wildlife crop degredation and examine the impact of existing mitigation measures being implemented to deter wildlife crop raiding. Crop damage assessments, involving crop quality, stage of growth and proportion of crop damage, were conducted using six trained field enumerators. Structured questionnaires were administered randomly to local farmers that were inflicted by wildlife crop raiders to elucidate on-farm deterrence measures. Eleven species of wildlife were identified as 'problem animals': African elephant (Loxodonta africana), Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), Bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus), Yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), African civet (Civetta civetta), Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), Lesser kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), Eland (Taurotragus oryx), Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). Results showed that African elephant caused the most damage, 67.82 and 98.41% of total wet and dry farming crop raiding incidences respectively, which occurred at crop maturity between February and April. Maize (Zea mays) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) were the most affected crops by problem animals, associated with 71.38 and 42.86% of the total crop raids in wet and dry farming seasons respectively. Frequency and extent of damages depended on deterrence measure applied on the crop fields. Of the six chiefdoms, in Malama chiefdom where solar powered electric fences and Capsicum fences were implemented, there were few and less intensive incursions. Based on the findings, we suggest development of capacity for local farmers in effective wildlife crop mitigation measures, particularly against African elephants. Future research would require determining uptake by local farmers and efficacy of novel countermeasures .
Journal of Arid Environments, 2008
Fencing has become a key strategy in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and promoting agricultural production in Kenya. However, it can have negative long-term consequences for wildlife conservation as well as human development, especially if the fence is poorly maintained. Such is the case of the Kimana and Namelok fences in the Kimana Group Ranch. This study assessed the influence of fences on agricultural expansion, environmental and wildlife conservation. In both fences, irrigated agriculture was a dominant land use and occurred along riverbanks, causing drying downstream. Most farmers in both fences were noticing a decline in water quantity and time of access to it, as well as increasing human-wildlife conflicts. Wildlife sightings within both fences provided evidence that the inadequate fence maintenance allows wildlife to freely access the fenced areas. Both wildlife and humans were blamed for fence deterioration in both fences. Irrigated agriculture inside both fences is expanding at an unmanageable rate. While the fences have spurred socioeconomic activities in the area, they are not only ineffective in reducing human-wildlife conflicts but have given rise to other critical conflicts. Fencing appears to be a short-term remedy for human-wildlife conflicts and it is crucial to explore other mitigation strategies.
Patterns of human-wildlife conflict and management implications in Kenya: a national perspective
Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 2019
With the intention to augment better management of human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) in Kenya, we assessed a national HWC pattern using a decade-long (2005-2016) monitoring data series. The results demonstrate that out of 29,647 reported HWC cases, crop raiding was the most frequent type (73%) followed by livestock depredation (23%) and infrastructure damage (4%). Different crops, livestock and wildlife species involved in the conflicts were also identified. Although HWC cases were reported from all the 47 counties that make up Kenya, about 75% of the incidences occurred in 10 counties, with the highest number of cases being in Taita Taveta County. Human-wildlife conflicts exhibited variations across the seasons and years. Overall, from the HWC cases reported, the number of crop raiding incidences decreased, livestock depredation increased, while property damage was constant. We suggest counties that experienced most HWC cases should be given a priority when implementing measures to mitigate HWC.
The Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2015
The agriculture sector is critical in the achievement of food security and also important for income generation, employment creation, and provision of raw materials for agro-based industries, economic growth and poverty reduction. This is especially for smallholder farmers, most of who live in rural areas, especially in Sub Saharan African countries such as Kenya. Rangelands occupy 34% of the world’s landscape, 70% of the total landmass in the horn of Africa and 80% in Kenya. Rangelands are mostly occupied by pastoralists and agro-pastoralists besides being used for wildlife conservation. The interaction between humans and wildlife results in human-wildlife conflict which is one of the major problems experienced by farmers in rangelands such as in Laikipia County. Data were collected through document review. Study findings established that despite agricultural extension promoting human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, human-wildlife conflict is still being experienced among ...