Spatial Interactions of African Elephant <i>Loxodonta africana</i> with the Resident Communities Bordering a Semi-arid National Park in Northern Kenya

Abstract

Northern Kenya is endowed with rich ecosystems that support populations of African Elephant, Loxodonta africana . The changing human demographics accompanied by climate change have exacerbated the incidences of human-wildlife conflicts, especially around the protected areas – the parks and reserves. Recorded incidence of conflict between humans and elephants, in particular crop-raiding, is increasing in rural Africa, undermining efforts to conserve biological diversity. Gaining an understanding of the underlying determinants of human–elephant conflict is important for the development of appropriate management tools. We examined the causal factors of the human-elephant conflicts around Marsabit National Park, and evaluated potential mitigation strategies. Our findings showed that incidences of elephant conflicts affected both agricultural farms and livestock around the park. Seasonality (wet and dry) and distance from the park boundary also influenced the frequency of human elephant conflicts. Our findings further showed that the problem animal control unit presently organized by the wildlife management authority in Kenya – the Kenya Wildlife Service had little impacts in mitigating the existing human-elephant conflicts in the area. We discuss the implications of our findings in the contexts of land use planning and partitioning of resources around the Park, and the need for community engagement as a long-term strategy for winning support for conservation of African elephant in northern Kenya.