Greater Mkomazi and Greater Mikumi
WHERE WE WORK
By signing a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) in 2022, we open the door to a new conservation collaboration that takes us to Mkomazi and Mikumi National Parks and surrounding communal lands.
TANAPA has positive expectations for the collaboration with African People & Wildlife in areas related to human-wildlife conflict and rangeland management, which mitigate existing conservation challenges while also engaging the community to participate.
Samuel Nassari, Tanzania National Parks Authority Conservation Officer
On the Ground in New Landscapes
Greater Mkomazi Landscape
Mkomazi National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife including elephants, giraffes, zebras, and cheetahs. The region is critical for maintaining landscape connectivity across northern Tanzania as well as transborder connectivity with Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park.
However, human-wildlife conflict is an ongoing issue, with farmers and villagers competing with wild animals for resources. We are bringing in programs that help prevent conflict and move toward more sustainable rangeland practices on protected lands and in nearby villages.
Greater Mikumi Landscape
Positioned in central Tanzania adjacent to the Selous Game Reserve, Mikumi National Park is home to iconic wildlife like elephants, lions, zebras, and buffalo. Like Mkomazi, 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.
Conservation Solutions: Work in Progress
Protecting large carnivores like lions and leopards means reducing conflicts with people whose livelihoods rely on natural resources around protected areas. To make an immediate impact on the ground, our approach in both landscapes will include:
- New Warriors for Wildlife
- New Living Walls
- Sustainable rangeland management
- Monitoring big cat populations
Partners & Supporters
