Human-wildlife conflict in Laikipia North, Kenya: comparing official reports with the experiences of Maasai pastoralists

The support of local communities has become accepted as critical for success in wildlife conservation, particularly in developing areas such as Kenya. Human-wildlife conflict is a major cost to people living amongst wildlife, and a threat to support for conservation. This research focused on conflict experienced by Maasai pastoralists in Laikipia, Kenya, an area of conservation importance and the site of many community conservation initiatives. It was found that the levels of conflict experienced by the communities were much higher than suggested by official reports from the Kenya Wildlife Service. Livestock depredation, mainly by hyenas, was identified as particularly underrepresented. These inaccuracies in the official reports are likely to lead to complications in conservation planning, and should be addressed in order to ensure that the benefits of conservation are going to be sufficient to outweigh the costs of conflict, and satisfy the expectations of local people.