Wildlife and people: conflict and conservation in Masai Mara, Kenya

This paper reports on the proceedings of two one-day workshops held with communities in the TransMara District where a human-elephant conflict study has taken place. These workshops were held to return the findings of that particular study to the communities and authorities most affected by human-elephant conflict.The workshop concluded that farming is increasing because communities receive no other form of benefit from their land. Therefore, if wildlife could be made to pay, residents would be willing to set land aside for conservation and tolerate the presence of wildlife in the area. To ensure that, better local coordination and planning are also needed.Recommendations include:<B>human Immigration and land Conversion: </B>Incentives should be provided for landowners not to convert landlivestock and wildlife should be promoted as alternative land uses to cultivationgovernment department policies on land use should be harmonisedlocal education and awareness regarding forest conservation should be improved<B>Elephant Range</B>a community forest should be created and managed for conservationbenefits from elephants, other wildlife and the forest should be generated (see below)benefit distribution from wildlife related activities should be extended over the whole elephant rangeforest encroachment should be discouraged through effective and appropriate rural planningguards and barriers should be provided to prevent incursions of elephants from Narok District to farming areas<B>Farming Practices</B>planting and harvesting seasons should be synchronised to limit individual risk of crop raidingfarms should be consolidated in cultivation zones away from elephant corridors and critical rangesalternative crops that are rejected by elephants, such as tobacco or chillies, should be considered<B>Tourism and revenue generation</B>a community wildlife association should be established to plan and manage sustainable utilisation and benefit distributionalternative, community-based tourism activities should be developed in the forest and on the escarpment, such as bird watching and walking and horseback safarisspecial-interest groups that may also contribute to conservation and community development activities, such as ‘Earthwatch’, should be encouragedother wildlife-compatible revenue generating activities should be developed, such as bee keeping and butterfly farmingthe County Council should provide an enabling environment for development of tourism and other alternative economic activities that are compatible with wildlife conservationthe flow of community benefits from such wildlife-related activities should be ensured, to provide services such as boarding schools and clinicsthe 19% dividend from MMNR revenues that is distributed to communities should be increased