Human-Leopard Conflict and Coexistence in Northern Kenya

Abstract

African Leopards are a vulnerable species under threat from habitat disturbance, declining prey abundance, and of greatest concern for our project, retaliatory killings as a result of livestock depredation (Jacobson et al., 2016; Kissui, 2008). Protecting leopard populations in Laikipia County, Kenya from these human conflicts has become an imperative conservation goal as leopards provide both ecosystem benefits (Braczkowski et al., 2018; O’Bryan et al., 2018; SANBI, 2020) and likely add value to the growing community-based tourism economy. World-wide, the conservation paradigm is increasingly centered around the concerns of local communities where the effects of conservation projects are most acutely felt (Adams & Hulme, 2001; Campbell & Vainio-Mattila, 2003; Sunderland et al., 2008). This is certainly true in Laikipia County, where private and community conservancies are being used as strategies for integrating the livelihood needs of pastoralists with leopard conservation goals. To maximize the efficacy of these community centered approaches to leopard conservation, SDZWA and Loisaba Conservancy are studying social and ecological dimensions of human-leopard conflict data and mitigation strategies. We assist with this mission by analyzing ecological and sociological data related to human-leopard conflict collected by SDZWA. We also conduct an extensive literature review to contextualize regional human-leopard conflict within the political and ecological landscape and identify important considerations for the design and implementation of human-leopard conflict mitigation strategies. These efforts culminate in our production of a set of recommendations for how SDZWA and their partners at Loisaba Conservancy can improve human-leopard interactions in a viable, just, and effective manner.