Local perceptions of carnivores in Sibiloi National Park, Kenya.

Abstract

Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) is increasingly seen as an important data source for informing conservation efforts. However, its use as a guide for the sustainable management of natural resources is still heatedly debated in the context of pastoral grasslands. In this study, we examine the utility of ILK as an alternative source of biological information relevant to inform conservation efforts in Sibiloi National Park, Kenya. We carried out 106 semi-structured interviews with local pastoralists to understand their local perceptions of abundance and change of seven carnivore species, i.e. black-backed jackal, caracal, cheetah, leopard, lion, spotted hyena and striped hyena. Each interviewee was asked to give information on wildlife abundance, wildlife changes recorded since their childhood and species causing livestock attacks. Our results reveal that local perceptions of carnivores' abundance and change over time varied substantially from one species to another. Black-backed jackal, caracal, spotted hyena and striped hyena were perceived in high abundances by 75% of our interviewees, whereas less than 50% of our interviewees perceived cheetah, leopard and lion in high abundances. The lion was the species reported to be decreasing the most, whereas more than 50% of our interviewees perceived the rest of the species as stable over time. Our results also show a gendered pattern, with women being more likely to report changes in caracal and spotted hyena. However, local perceptions of carnivores' change over time did not vary significantly in function of the interviewee age. Moreover, the most widely perceived driver of change in species abundance was hunting, whereas food availability was often cited as a driver of the increase in population abundance. More than 75% of the interviewees reported that black-backed jackal and spotted hyena were the two species causing the majority of the livestock attacks. The results provide a novel view of the conservation status of carnivores, which can be helpful in mitigating human-wildlife conflict in Sibiloi National Park. The pastoralist groups of Sibiloi have a complex view of wildlife and we conclude that management decisions need to combine biological data with Indigenous and Local Knowledge.