Land Use Changes and Human–Wildlife Conflicts in the Amboseli Area, Kenya

Abstract

In most of the Maasai lands in Kenya, increasing human–wildlife conflicts threaten wildlife resources and conservation. This article presents data from interviews of Kuku Group Ranch residents, which were conducted to understand residents’ relationships with, and opinions of, wildlife and land use. Respondents supported agriculture expansion, which is regarded as more profitable than pastoralism or conservation. They also supported land subdivision into individually owned property, as opposed to communal ownership. Although a majority of residents still favors wildlife conservation, they are opposed to free wildlife use of their land. Support for wildlife conservation was dependent on benefits received. Losses from problem animals, lack of compensation for these losses, and lack of community involvement in wildlife conservation were major sources of local resentment. Without an urgent redress, wildlife may be excluded from Maasai lands either by direct persecution or incompatible land use changes. The School for Field Studies (SFS) and Center for Wildlife Management Studies (CWMS) in Kenya is thanked for their support. Kuku Group Ranch members allowed this study to be done on their land. The author also thanks Tanner, Roy, Maantoi, Mpaa, Godana, Kasaine, and all SFS students for participating in this research and providing field assistance. Finally, the author thanks the editorial staff of Human Dimensions of Wildlife for their assistance with earlier drafts.