Currently the elephants experiencing poor vegetation cover where they can access feeding. Drought is seen to be increased as years go on. It is realised that human settlement and livestock grazing in protected areas and elephant corridors is widespread (Plumptre, et al., 2010; Hibert, et al, 2010; Jones, et al., 2009). During the implementation project 1 in this year, the project team noted that livelihoods activities which motivate conservation of habitats are highly needed. It is revealed that the villagers engage into various livelihoods but lack of entrepreneurship skills continue to facilitate destruction of habitats especially extension of farms and deforestation through overgrazing and charcoal making activities, the local residents claim that wildlife movement has decreased areas where farming or extensive grazing occurs. Otherwise, elephants are seen by adjacent community as destructors of their crops while farming have been extended to elephants corridors. Where also migration of people into elephant range has greatly exacerbated human – elephant conflict in recent times (Hoare 2007). Apart from villages trained in phase 1, other villages do not take any conservation role to the elephant’s habitat in Mikumi National Park because of inadequate knowledge on participatory wildlife conservation process which would also benefit themselves.

Since there is continuing reported cases on deterioration of elephants’ habitats in Mikumi national park, this project is intending to enhance protection and management of on elephants’ habitat where other wild animals will benefit as well. This project complies with Tanzania Wildlife Policy, 2007 and wildlife Conservation Act of 2009 which give for involvement of adjacent villagers in conserving wildlife including abstain from destruction of habitat. Hence, it will enhance community on participatory elephants’ habitats/corridors/range protection and management. Also the project is subject to Tanzania Elephants Management Plan 2010 – 2015 under strategic objective 1 on human – elephant conflict and strategy objective 2 on elephants’ corridors management and protection. Hence in order to reduce destruction of elephants’ ranges/habitat, the adjacent community is supposed to effectively participate into conservation efforts by engaging into livelihoods which facilitate afforestation and avoid encroachment to elephants’ range/habitat.

This project is going to bridge the gap between the community and Park on conserving and protecting the ecosystem for suitable habitat of African Elephants and other Wild animals. This project intend to upscale the the conservation activities done in three villages of Maharaka, Doma and Mkata through extending some activities in other villages of Kihondo, Parakuyo and Malangali but also train both former and new villages on entrepreneurial livelihoods skills. The activities will be conducting sensitization meetings in three new villages, training village patrol volunteers and beekeeping project in three new villages, form groups in all six (6) villages (former and new) of 15 participants and train on entrepreneurship livelihoods to be applied in beekeeping project and their other livelihoods and supply 30 beehives (21 for new villages and 9 for former villages). Mentor the patrol volunteers and entrepreneurship groups.