Richard D. Lyamuya

Pastoralist herding efficiency in dealing with carnivore-livestock conflicts in the eastern Serengeti, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Wild carnivores are often involved in conflicts with humans due to their predation on livestock. We investigated the herding efficiency of pastoralists in association with depredation on livestock in the Loliondo game-controlled area (LGCA), northern Tanzania, to identify specific herding practices that may reduce predation occurrence. Randomised face-to-face interviews were employed using semi-structured questionnaires. Our results indicate that all studied livestock herds were tended to by at least one herder. Despite the presence of herders, carnivores were found to attack livestock in half of the observed herds. Female herders experienced more attacks than male herders. African wild dogs and spotted hyenas most frequently attacked the livestock of the Sonjo tribe, whereas leopards and lions most frequently attacked livestock of the Maasai tribe. Herders carrying defensive equipment (knives and spears) reduced the number of successful carnivore attacks in the area. We recommend maintaining and improving the traditional livestock husbandry practices of using herders to reduce carnivore attacks. Moreover, increasing the number of adult male herders per herd and carrying gear might also help reduce such attacks. Using herders can potentially improve economic gains and livelihoods of local people and change their negative attitudes towards wild carnivores.

Can Enhanced Awareness Change Local School Children’s Knowledge of Carnivores in Northern Tanzania?

ABSTRACT We used a four-day program with a pre-test–post-test approach on 355 selected school children to investigate the influence of a wildlife education project on the acquisition of knowledge about large carnivores in Loliondo, Tanzania. After the school program was completed, a significantly higher number of school children correctly identified six carnivore species, compared to when the same identification task was administered prior to the initiation of the school program. This increased knowledge is important for the conservation of large carnivores in general and of African wild dogs, in particular, because the post-test results showed that most school children considered wild dogs to be an important part of the ecosystem. In areas experiencing human– carnivore conflict, it is important to include conservation education programs in school curricula as early as possible to enable students to gain knowledge of large carnivores and their role in ecosystems.

Lion Densities in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Lion densities in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania William-Georges Crosmary* ( ), Dennis Ikanda, Fredrick Ambwene Ligate, Pietro Sandini, Imani Mkasanga, Lameck Mkuburo, Richard Lyamuya, Kelvin Ngongolo & Philippe Chardonnet Fondation Internationale pour la Gestion de la Faune under the auspices of the Fondation François Sommer, 56 rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris, France. Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P.O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania Wildlife Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Mpingo House, 40 Julius Nyerere Road, 15472 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Southern Tanzania Elephant Program, P.O. Box 2494, Iringa, Tanzania University of Dodoma, Department of Conservation Biology, P.O. Box 259, Dodoma, Tanzania