HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN
SAMBURU COUNTY:
ONE HEALTH APPROACH TO AN INTEGRATIVE
ECOSYSTEM STUDY
W.O. Ogara, G.Nduhiu, E.B. Ongoro
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH,
PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY.
OUTLINE
I. Introductory remarks (Definitions)
2. Study area
3. Conceptualization of Samburu integrative
ecosystem study.
4. Study outputs
5. Carnivore in conflict project, objectives,
insites and hindsites.
5. Acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
It is best put across as human and
environmental ecosystem co-existing in a
balance that keeps all of them healthy and living
optimally.
Disturbance of one element affects the other
components.
A holistic One health study approach in a
ecosystem is thus desired.
WHAT IS TRANSDISCIPLINARITY: DEFINITION
Ecosystem studies:
Mono-, multi-, inter-, trans-disciplinary studies
Transdisciplinarity:
“a new form of learning and problem solving involving
cooperation among different parts of society and
academia in order to meet complex challenges of
society” (Julie Klein et al., 2001)
Non-academic environment
Discip
line
Monodisciplinary
48
DisciplDiscipl Discipl
ine ine ine
Multidisciplinary
Discipl Discipl Discipl
ine
ine ine
Interdisciplinary
Discipl DisciplDiscipl
ine
ine ine
Transdisciplinary
Faculteit der Aard- en Levenswetenschappen
STUDY AREA
MAP OF THE STUDY AREA
GEOGRAPHYCAL DETAILS
Rainfall:
Bimodal; March to April and Oct. to Nov.
Mean annual rainfall; 250 – 500mm.
Temperatures:
Mean 18-200C. Minimum; 11- 140C
Vegetation:
%
Mathews Range
N
Lerochi Forest
Kisima
%
LKISINI
%
%
Sera
%
SILANGA-NANYUKIE
SESIA
Varied; acacia spp, dry wood land, shrubgrassland.
Serolevi
Wamba
Londungokua
NGARONI
%
Kirimun
Lodosoit
Soils:
Namunyak
%
Barsalinga
West Gate Kalama
Archers Post
Samburu
%
Buffalo Springs
Don Dol%
Mukogodo
%
Lekurruki
Isiolo
Mukurian Ilngwesi
Borana Lewa downs
Ndare Forest
Weru project
Key
%
Samburu CRI boundary
Towns
Rivers
Roads
New community conservancies
Established community conservancies
National reserves
Private conservancies
Community grazing land
Forest reserves
Contours
Mount Kenya Forest
Luvisos and Combisols
Shaba
Main economical activity:
• Pastoralism
Main Constrain:
• Predation on Livestock
Conceptualization of the IES (stepwise approach)
1. Communities & stakeholders’
2. Researchers & conservation groups
3. Communities, researchers & other stakeholders
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Barriers to resource access
Critical habitats in and outside ‘PAs’
Status and distribution of ‘HWCs’
Encroachment on wildlife corridors
Water resource availability, quality and use
Indigenous plant use
Indigenous resource management
Wildlife-livestock health interface
Land-use tenure and conflicts
Impacts of wildlife management enterprises
Integrated ecosystem study in Samburu
Inception
GREVY’S ZEBRA WAMBA
CARNIVORE IN
CONFLICT
WATER PROJECT
WILDLIFE
HABITATS
Integrated Ecosystem Study
Conservation land use, Options &
Choices
Community Participation
Generation of Knowledge
Policy
Carnivore Project – Transdisciplinarity
COMMUNITY
Depredation
Homestead
Water resources
Grazing landprey base
Denning sites
COMMUNITY
Trans- disciplinary
Carnivores sharing
watering point & dens
with livestock &
human
Samburu ecosystem is
shared between human,
livestock and wildlife.
Human & livestock sharing
ecosystem,.
Interfaced human, livestock &
wildlife
Human live at cross
proximity with their livestock.
Human & livestock share
watering points & denning
site with carnivores.
Conflicts ; kills by the cats,
zoonotic disease transfer.
Resultant conflict
Ngare Ndare forest
Carnivore Scat Analysis
Absolute
width
Medulla width
Medulla end
Hair end
 Scat types indicated presence
of predators in the ecosystem;
lion, leopard, hyena, wild-dog.
Scat analyzed for presence of
prey hair indicated;
Mixed diet
 Preference of wild ungulates
to domestic prey, thus
informed conflict
management by involved
community .
Cross-species pathogens
Shared environment by humans,
carnivores, wild and domestic ungulates.
Through watering points, grazing fields
and den site.
Zoonotic pathogens & diseases vectors
spread across the shared ecosystem.
Outputs
Publications
Determination of carnivores prey base by scat analysis in Samburu community group ranches in Kenya, AJEST Vol.
4(8), 540-546,2010, http://www.academicjournals.org/AJEST.
Joshua Orungo Onono, William Okelo Ogara, Samuel Oyieke Okuthe, Johnson Gitahi Nduhiu, Alfred Omwando
Mainga, Dorcas Nduati. Challenges of camel production in Samburu District, Kenya. Journal of Camelid Science;
3(2010) 01-05. http://www.isocard.org.
Ongoro E B., Ontita E., Ogara W O., Oguge N O., (2010) Climate Change and the Emergence of Helter- Skelter
Livelihoods in Samburu East District,Kenya. In, Experiences of Climate Change Adaptation in Africa pp97 – 110 Springer
Verlag Heideberg 2011.
Thesis and projects
Identification of ticks collected from carnivore denning site in Samburu – Bsc. Student.
Assessing trade-offs between pastoral economy and wildlife conservation in the Ewaso Nyiro Basin, Northern
Kenya. A case study of Naibunga and Namunyak conservancies – MSc student
Climate change – MSc student
Externant bone study collected at hyena dens in Samburu – PhD, ongoing
Common Central Concepts
Participation
Knowledge integration
Reflection
Emergent design and process facilitation
These underpin the concept
of one-health
Carnivore project objectives
Characterize location and nature of livestock
housing structure.
Characterize the nature and frequency of
conflicts (depredation) per locality.
Carnivore ecology.
Characterize carnivore health parameters.
Characterize the KAP of community in relation
to wildlife (feeding, migration & conflict areas).
Identify mitigation measures to recommend
policy dimensions.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the following;
Earthwathch
Samburu Community
Kenya wildlife service
University of Nairobi-PHPT
Colleagues in the Department