Evaluating support for range-restoration practices by rural Somalis: an unlikely win-win for local livelihoods and the world's most endangered antelope?

In developing countries, many declining species of wildlife occur outside protected areas, where governments lack the authority and resources to implement conservation. In such situations, the integration of conservation with... [ view full abstract ]

In developing countries, many declining species of wildlife occur outside protected areas, where governments lack the authority and resources to implement conservation. In such situations, the integration of conservation with local livelihoods is crucial to species recovery and reintroduction efforts. The hirola (Beatragus hunteri) is the world’s most endangered antelope, with a population of <500 individuals restricted to <5% of its geographic range on the Kenya-Somali border. Historically, hirola declines have been attributed to disease and range degradation, while some combination of range degradation and predation likely interact to suppress recovery of contemporary populations. Through interviews in Somali villages across the hirola’s geographic range, we identified socially acceptable strategies for habitat restoration and the potential recovery of hirola. Locals supported grass seeding and fertilization, manual removal of trees, and the protection of elephants, but were opposed to livestock reduction. Locals were ambivalent toward controlled burns and soil ripping to restore habitat for hirola. Livestock ownership and years of residency were key predictors of locals’ perceptions toward range-restoration practices, while gender was the least important predictor. We recommend consideration of a combination of grass seeding, tree removal, core area resting and heightened efforts to conserve elephants to both enhance the potential for hirola recovery and to build positive rapport with Somali communities in the geographic range of this critically-endangered species.