Elephant-Human Wildlife Conflict – The Elephant (Loxodonta africana) conflict and Livestock number factor In Tsavo Conservation Area, Kenya. A Case Study

Abstract

Human wildlife conflict is increasingly becoming an important factor on the survival of wildlife in and outside wildlife protected areas. The rapid increase in human population and change in land use practice in areas neighbouring protected areas has continued to put more pressure to wildlife habitats, leading to species that require large home ranges to come into contact with humans resulting to conflicts.

This study is aimed at establishing if the higher stocking densities of livestock in the region had an influence or could be a contributing factor on the occurrence of Human- Elephant conflict in the Tsavo conservation area in south eastern Kenya. The rapid influx of livestock numbers in the region has resulted in increased human settlement in the region and illegal grazing in the Tsavo conservation area. These factors are believed to be incompatible with wildlife conservation in the region leading to increased conflict.

Using data available from the Kenya wildlife service on Livestock numbers, Human wildlife conflict and Elephant population data from the from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) African Elephant Specialist Group (AfESG). The study analysed the data to establish if there was any relationship between increased livestock numbers and human- elephant conflict in the region

From the study, the results show that even though there has been a general increase in livestock numbers in the region, Human- elephant conflict overall is on the decline, suggesting that an increase in livestock numbers may not have a direct effect on the human-elephant conflict in the region and that other factors coupled with the higher livestock numbers may contribute to such conflict.