local communities play a vital role in the fight against wildlife crime
local communities play a vital role in the fight against wildlife crime
This project was funded by the European Commission and TUI. EU funding was Jan 2018 – Nov. 2020 TUI was Dec. 2017 – Nov 2020
We're working with community members to strengthen local management of wildlife.
Problem
The Kenya – Tanzania border forms part of Africa’s richest landscape for wildlife populations and migration. The area is also home to a vast human population participating in livestock and crop farming. While this diverse population is key in sustaining a suitable level of biodiversity, it also presents security threats to both animals and people. This critical route for migration has often been exploited by poachers and wildlife traffickers who camouflage as part of pastoralists’ communities to prey on wildlife. In addition, the increased interaction between wildlife and people often leads to competition for limited natural resources such as land and water, and causes wildlife to suffer from habitat destruction, retaliation kills and bush meat hunting.
Solution
With support from the European Union, we are working together with African Wildlife Foundation and Big Life Foundation to increase community support for long-term ecosystem management and wildlife conservation. We understand the importance of having communities play a central role in keeping wildlife safe, and focus in particular on community relations with law enforcement and their participation in law enforcement activities.
Impact
We have established a solid connection between community members, community outreach officers, and community wildlife rangers who all listen to people’s grievances and respond to incidences of human-wildlife conflict, destruction of property and reports of wildlife crime within community lands. For instance, farmers are now adapting non-lethal ways of warding off wildlife from their farms, such as using torches and blowing horns. Procuring motorbikes for patrols has also helped in tackling bush meat poaching, with reported cases having declined in areas where scouts networks have been established. Another example is the Olgulului Community Wildlife Rangers (a mobile unit funded by the European Union) who answered distress calls from community members and were able to help find two missing children of 3 and 5 years old. In addition, through cross-border collaboration, we successfully formed a shared information network between Kenya and Tanzania. By holding regular cross-border security meetings and organizing joint community ranger patrols, this network facilitates decision-making by community wildlife rangers and other law enforcement partners on how to best secure the trans-boundary area.
During COVID-19, support for 38 community rangers to date includes:
- USD 7,881 in operational support
- USD 32,743 for salaries
- USD 10,558 on rations
The Strengthening Community Support for Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching Efforts in the Greater Kilimanjaro Trans Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) project is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by IFAW in partnership with African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and Big Life Foundation. The contents of this page are the sole responsibility of IFAW and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
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The problems we face are urgent, complicated, and resistant to change. Real solutions demand creativity, hard work, and involvement from people like you.