Human – Wildlife conflicts and land-use interactions between pastoralists, livestock and large predators in Ngorongoro, a multi-use landscape

Abundant wildlife coexists with a traditional pastoralist population and their livestock in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), an essential part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. Gazetted in 1959, the NCA... [ view full abstract ]

Abundant wildlife coexists with a traditional pastoralist population and their livestock in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), an essential part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. Gazetted in 1959, the NCA was one of the world’s first protected multiple-use areas. Tourism income is significant and comes almost exclusively from wildlife. However, rapid human population growth has increased competition for natural resources and intensified human – wildlife conflict (HWC). Most vulnerable to HWC in NCA is the lion (Panthera leo), and their populations have declined substantially in recent decades. The long-term viability of the iconic and well-studied lion population in the Ngorongoro Crater is compromised by a growing isolation, as any dispersing lion from the nearby Serengeti population must cross an increasingly hostile matrix to reach the Crater resulting in extensive inbreeding.
Our overall goal is to develop and implement a sustainable model for coexistence in this landscape. Our initial objective is to characterize existing HWC patterns so as to develop suitable mitigation methods. We focus on the lion as an umbrella species that is most vulnerable to HWC yet holding cultural value to the pastoralists and a top attraction for the tourism industry. To strengthen conservation impact we use a participatory approach, engaging resident pastoralists in the research and conservation activities.
This study explores interaction patterns between people, livestock and large predators, and is the first comprehensive survey of depredation impacts in the NCA. Habitat-use and distribution patterns of lions are assessed through fine-scale movements of GPS-collared individuals, and opportunistic observations. We use multivariate models of spatio-temporal and contextual parameters combined with map-layers of landscape features and landmarks (e.g. homesteads, water-points, no-grazing zones) to explore factors affecting livestock/predator vulnerability and risks of attack. The results characterize distributions of key resources, land-use patterns of people, livestock and wildlife, conflict hot-spots, and contextual risks for conflict. Based on these results we have developed a friction map identifying priority areas for conflict‐mitigation efforts and potential lion dispersal areas. The results will provide a basis for discussions with the Pastoralist communities about mitigation methods that are best suited to local conditions.