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 area3. Conceptualization of Samburu integrative

ecosystem study.4. Study outputs5. Carnivore in conflict project, objectives,

insites and hindsites.5. Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTIONIt 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.

Faculteit der Aard- en Levenswetenschappen4

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)

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Discipline

Discipline

Discipline

Discipline

Discipline

Discipline

Discipline

Non-academic environment

Mono-disciplinary

Multi-disciplinary

Inter-disciplinary Trans-

disciplinary

Discipline

Discipline

Discipline

STUDY AREASTUDY AREAMAP OF THE STUDY AREA

GEOGRAPHYCAL DETAILSRainfall:Rainfall: Bimodal; March to April and Oct. to Nov.Bimodal; March to April and Oct. to Nov.Mean annual rainfall; 250 – 500mm.Mean annual rainfall; 250 – 500mm. Temperatures:Temperatures: Mean 18-20Mean 18-2000C. Minimum; 11- 14C. Minimum; 11- 1400CC

Vegetation:Vegetation:Varied; acacia spp, dry wood land, shrub-Varied; acacia spp, dry wood land, shrub-

grassland.grassland.

Soils:Soils: Luvisos and CombisolsLuvisos and Combisols

Main economical activity:Main economical activity:• PastoralismPastoralism

Main Constrain:Main Constrain:• Predation on LivestockPredation on Livestock

%

%%

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%

%

%

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ShabaSamburuBuffalo Springs

Sera

West Gate

Namunyak

Lekurruki

IlngwesiMukurian

Mukogodo

Lerochi Forest

Mount Kenya Forest

Mathews Range

Weru project

SESIASILANGA-NANYUKIE

NGARONI

LKISINI

Kalama

Lewa downsBoranaNdare Forest

WambaKisima

Isiolo

Kirimun

Don Dol

Lodosoit

Serolevi

Barsalinga

Londungokua

Archers Post

N

ContoursForest reservesCommunity grazing landPrivate conservanciesNational reservesEstablished community conservanciesNew community conservanciesRoadsRivers

% TownsSamburu CRI boundary

Key

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

Carnivore Project – Transdisciplinarity

Depredation

Grazing land- prey base

Homestead

Water resources

Denning sites

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

Trans- disciplinary

Resultant conflict

Ngare Ndare forest

Samburu ecosystem is shared between human, livestock and 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.

Carnivores sharing watering point & dens with livestock & human

Human & livestock sharing ecosystem,.Interfaced human, livestock & wildlife

Carnivore Scat Analysis 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 .

Hair endMedulla end

Absolute width

Medulla width

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.

OutputsPublications

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 projectsIdentification 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 studentClimate change – MSc student

Externant bone study collected at hyena dens in Samburu – PhD, ongoing

Common Central ConceptsParticipationKnowledge integrationReflectionEmergent design and process facilitation

These underpin the concept of one-health

Carnivore project objectivesCharacterize 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 CommunityKenya wildlife service

University of Nairobi-PHPTColleagues in the Department