Tuesday July 27: PROTECTED AREAS AND WILDLIFE CONFLICTS

7:30 am: Breakfast

8:00 am: Depart Tungamalenga for Kitisi

8:30-12:30 pm: Field Visits-Wildlife Conflicts at the Human-Livestock-Wildlife Interface

Leaders: Aybu Omari Msago & Alphonce Msigwa, Ruaha Carnivore Project, Mzee Mbano, WCS-RLP

We were taught about efforts to reduce conflicts between agricultural activities and elephants/hippos, and livestock conflicts with carnivores by visiting sites where these activities have occurred. A unique program that uses natural chili pepper oil to deter elephants from farms and provides improved designs for livestock bomas (corrals) that reduce predation were the highlights. The drive out to the villages was particularly fun as we were in open air vehicles on narrow roads and had to constantly dodge acacia thorns.

1:00 pm: Lunch

2 – 3:45 pm: Snake Park

A small group of us visited a snake park near the campground. Our group consisted of Thalita (Brazil), Sukuman (Thailand), Tricia (Canada), Amelie (Canada), and Marcella (Italy). It was a very small park with only 6 snakes and a few tortoises. Because there were so few animals we were able to negotiate a lower rate.

3:45pm: Tea

4:00-5:00 pm: Discussion: Community-based Wildlife Management

Leader: Bakari Mbano, Director, WCS Ruaha Landscape Program; Former Director, Wildlife Division, United Republic of Tanzania

Tanzania has designated over 28% of its land area under some degree of protection. Mzee Mbano gave a brief overview of the history of wildlife conservation in Tanzania, described the structure of the current Protected Area system, and highlighted new initiatives to create community-based wildlife management areas in Tanzania. Successes and challenges encountered during and after the establishment of the community-based Pawaga-Idodi Wildlife Management Area, and broader pros and cons of community-based conservation were discussed.

5:15-6:15 pm: Case Study: Spatial Decline of Buffalo in the Ruaha Ecosystem

Presenter: Deana Clifford

Clifford reviewed the evidence to date suggesting that Ruaha’s once large buffalo populations have suffered a spatial range contraction and possibly a population decline. Possible causes for the decline were described and we had the chance to brainstorm ideas about how they could begin to study and address this issue.

7:30 pm: Special BBQ Dinner/campfire with Wahehe drama group performance

It was an amazing dinner with very special performances. After eating all of us joined the native dancers in some traditional dance next to the campfire. The festivities went on for several hours and when they were complete an after-party broke out in the dinning hall featuring more modern music.