Greater Mikumi
WHERE WE WORK
Positioned in central Tanzania adjacent to the Selous Game Reserve, Mikumi National Park is home to iconic wildlife like elephants, lions, zebras, and buffalo. The park also faces ongoing human-wildlife conflict as nearby communities struggle to protect their crops and livestock from animal incursions.
While the region has often been overlooked by conservation practitioners, our team is collaborating with park management and local communities to find solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.
Improved habitat and livestock management are vital to curbing incursions into the park in search of forage. In addition, carnivore conflict poses a threat to pastoralists’ livelihoods and wellbeing as wildlife ventures into communal lands. Our Warriors for Wildlife, Living Walls, and Sustainable Rangelands Initiative tackle these root causes of human-wildlife conflict.
The lands around Mikumi face tough hurdles but optimism prevails. Our team, partners, and local people stand determined and are taking steps for a better future.
Charles Trout, Co-founder and Chief Program Officer
On the Ground in Greater Mikumi
Building Local Capacity for Conservation
Following a 2023 stakeholder workshop with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) and local officials, APW recruited and trained four Warriors for Wildlife in Kiduhi and Parakuyo villages. These local Human-Carnivore Coexistence Officers document conflict, recover lost livestock, and work with residents to prevent retaliation. In 2024, they prevented retaliation in every reported carnivore-conflict incident.
A small team remained active in Greater Mikumi in 2025. In Parakuyo, officers successfully recovered livestock in 75% of searches, securing animals valued at an estimated $51,120. They also documented the first reported African wild dog sighting in several years, reinforcing the importance of sustained local monitoring.
Planting Trees of Change with Living Walls
With the partnership of TANAPA and Mikumi District representatives, we unveiled two demonstration Living Walls in Kiduhi village in 2023. These eco-friendly enclosures offer nighttime sanctuary for livestock, reinforcing bomas against predator threats. Anchored by live Commiphora trees and strengthened with chain-link fencing, Living Walls are formidable barriers, shielding livestock from lions, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, leopards, and other carnivores. Community members play crucial roles in planting the trees and participating in installation.
Word of mouth about the new structures helped inform neighbors in Kidhu and surrounding villages about our collective strategies for lion-livestock resolution. We continue to field an influx of calls from interested livestock owners!
Conservation Solutions: Work in Progress
Protecting carnivores like lions and leopards and large mammals like elephants and buffalo means reducing conflicts with people whose livelihoods rely on natural resources around protected areas. Our approach around Mikumi includes:
- New Warriors for Wildlife
- New Living Walls
- Sustainable rangeland management
- Monitoring wildlife populations
Partners & Supporters
