Goats attacked and killed by a leopard in Mara North.

The project is to be conducted in selected Conservancies within Mara ecosystem, key objective being to examine extent of Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC). This is with a view to better understand trends of the conflicts in conservancies in terms of forms and causes, seasonality of occurrence and to establish effective mitigation measures local community can employ to address. Data on HWC will be monitored and also obtained from the Kenya Wildlife Service stations and Conservancy management. Primary data will be gathered through questionnaires, photographs/observation, Focus group discussion and interviews. The project will provide information to enhance better understanding of prevalent types of human wildlife conflicts in Conservancies, causes of conflicts, trends of HWC based on seasons(wet and dry) as well as conflict hotspot zones, in terms of individual Conservancies. It will also be essential in networking amongst the different Conservancies, since they are set of connected areas within Mara ecosystem. The projects will establish means through which the Conservancies can network and operate jointly and will aid in establishing particularly in addressing common conflict problems. In addition, our findings will also be helpful in addressing similar issues in other conservation areas in Kenya and elsewhere.

Key outcomes of this project include: Reduced HWC, Increased wildlife population, less subdivision of communal land, which enhances better wildlife management and persistence and Positive attitudes and perception towards wildlife conservation.

The project is expected to take approximately 12 months, with the first 2 months dedicated to permit acquisition, reconnaissance and pre-survey activities to identify and familiarize with select Conservancies, as well as preparation of monitoring materials and equipment. Monitoring of HWC cases is set to take 8 months split in two seasons: wet and dry seasons. Administration of questionnaires, interviews with key informants and focus group discussion will be conducted concurrently with collection and collation of HWC data. Two months will be devoted to data analyses, report writing and post survey to share findings.