Coexistence, Competition, and Contradiction: A Review of the Evidence on Wildlife- Livestock Relationships in East Africa

Abstract

East African rangeland ecosystems are globally renowned biodiversity hotspots. They have also sustained humans and livestock for millennia. Prior research has shown that wildlife and livestock of similar guilds compete for resources, potentially threatening some wild species. This conclusion has shaped many conservation policies, restricting pastoralist and livestock access to protected areas (PAs) and resulting in many conflicts. However, newer research at finer scales suggests that the nature of wildlife-livestock relationships is more nuanced. However, this evidence has yet to be systematically reviewed and contextualized to offer prescriptive advice for researchers and policymakers moving forward. Our review addresses this gap by exploring four decades of empirical ecological research on the wildlife-livestock relationship in this region. We asked: 1) What methods and evidence have ecologists used to characterize the relationships between wildlife and livestock in East African rangelands? 2) What conclusions have they reached about the nature of the relationship? We created Sankey diagrams to visually map the relationships between methodologies, evidence, and the conclusions that go on to inform policy. Our review revealed a wealth of diverse evidence from East Africa, including both positive and negative responses from wildlife and livestock. We find that evidence based on spatial overlap is prone to inconsistent interpretation and can benefit from a more rigorous application of ecological concepts. Most conclusions are neutral, which challenges policies that assume competition between wild and domestic herbivores. We also find that most positive evidence is linked to land use and livestock management conditions. These insights hold implications for policymakers, pastoralist communities, and researchers seeking sustainable solutions in East Africa’s socially and ecologically complex environments.