Examining Livelihood Activities in Siana, Mara and Naikarra Wards related to Wildlife Conservation

Abstract

This study examined livelihood activities that are related to wildlife conservation in the Siana, Mara, and Naikarra Wards of Maasai Mara Ecosystem (MME), Narok County. The focus of this paper was livelihood activities which included; ecotourism, tourism (travel and hotel industry), land leasing, beekeeping, green economy, selling of tree seedlings, public education for a fee, pastoralism, trade-in tourism artifacts and cultural activities (songs and dances). Alternative life forms in conservation areas, especially the ones compatible with wildlife conservation are important in reconciling the challenges the local community face in hosting wildlife. This paper demonstrates the place of livelihood networks, the contribution of alternative livelihoods to spatial and temporal harmony, and sustainable coexistence between wildlife and human beings. The study employed a Mixed Methods design and the main data collection tools were questionnaires, interviews, and Focused Group Discussion (FGD). The findings indicated that 86.3 % of the respondents noted the existence of livelihood activities supporting wildlife conservation. Further, the Chi-square test of association indicated a significant relationship between livelihood activities and the conservation of wildlife (x^2 = 106.401, df = 16, p = 0.000) at 95 % confidence level, and since p < 0.05, it revealed that there are livelihood activities in Siana, Mara and Naikarra Wards related to wildlife conservation. It was also revealed that age (x^2 = 45.059, df = 20, p = 0.001) associated positively with satisfaction level on livelihood networks at 95 % confidence level, indicating that there was a significant positive relationship between the age of the respondents and their satisfaction on the influence of the benefits accruing from Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) on their livelihoods. The study recommended for the establishment of support systems for these livelihood activities, through the creation of credit facilities that could easily be assessed by the local community