KENYA-TANZANIA BORDERLAND CONSERVATION INITIATIVE

The Kenya-Tanzania borderlands region supports some of the richest wildlife populations on earth through a network of national parks and reserves, as well as the pastoral lands that connect them. The Kenya-Tanzania Borderlands Conservation Initiative (BCI) aims to conserve large, free-ranging elephant and lion populations along the Kenya-Tanzania borderland through coordination of conservation efforts and cooperation between key interest groups.

PROGRAM IMPACT

Further the healthy coexistence of people and wildlife, and conserve life-giving ecosystems.

Despite their importance to conservation, most national parks are too small and scattered to sustain large, wide-ranging herbivores and carnivores. Over the last 30 years, Kenya’s parks and reserves have lost half of their wildlife populations, about the same as countrywide losses. The same trend is also seen in parks across eastern and southern Africa.

Elephants (Loxodonta africana) and lions (Panthera leo) — the largest herbivore and carnivore in Africa — are highly threatened and share a flagship role in conservation. Both species play keystone roles in the ecosystem, are major tourist attractions and are species most often in conflict with farmers and herders. Conserving elephants and lions combats poaching, bolsters tourism, generates income for local communities, and maintains the diversity and integrity of ecosystems. However, pastoralists, eager to secure formal titles to ward off land grabbers, are carving up the areas around and between parks. The wave of subdivision is hastening the loss of wildlife and the isolation of parks. Additionally, the illegal slaughter of wildlife has recently escalated in northern Tanzania. Although wildlife protection agencies in Tanzania and Kenya have reacted to this threat in protected areas, most of the community lands in this region have little or no protection. The Borderland Elephant and Lion Conservation Initiative changes that by working with communities to strengthen their conservation capacity and by generating jobs and income.

REDUCED POACHING INCIDENTS IN CERTAIN AREAS

Elephant poaching cases have dropped in certain areas from 75 to 32 over the last year thanks to efforts by communities and our partners.

MONITORING MIGRATION

Elephants are fitted with radio collars in order to track their migratory paths.

GAME SCOUTS — FRONT LINE AGAINST POACHERS

BCI has hired and trained 30 new Game Scouts to fill gaps in coverage. The Scouts have arrested more than 42 poachers in the last 12 months. In addition, 4 new scout bases have been built to protect elephants and other wildlife on Kenyan community land.

LION POPULATIONS INCREASING IN CERTAIN AREAS

Lions have reappeared in areas where they have not been seen in 10 years.

BORDERLANDS ASSESSMENTS

BCI is supporting critical borderlands assessments across the Kenya-Tanzania borderland area for wide-ranging elephant and lion meta-populations.

COLLABORATING FOR KEYSTONE SPECIES

In February 2012, ACC coordinated a meeting in Arusha, Tanzania that brought together 60 representatives from Tanzania and Kenya including government and community representatives, conservation organizations and researchers to forge a collaborative approach to conserving elephants and lions.