African lions (
Panthera leo
) are in decline across many parts of the continent with retaliatory killing of lions for attacks on livestock being an important cause. In East Africa, projects are ...fortifying bomas to reduce large carnivore conflicts with the specific goal of preventing the indiscriminate killing of lions. A lack of evidence-based studies evaluating the impact of these efforts means their efficacy for lion conservation is not yet scientifically verifiable. We evaluated fortified bomas by comparing large carnivore attack rates at 84 unprotected bomas and 62 fortified bomas called Living Walls. The latter were 99.9 % successful in preventing nighttime carnivore attacks over 1,790 boma-months. Following Living Wall installation, there were no lion deaths at fortified bomas. Our results demonstrate the importance of predator-proof enclosures as a tool for lion conservation across the continent in areas where they inhabit human–and livestock–dominated landscapes. This study also contributes more broadly by highlighting the importance of scientifically evaluating conservation efforts.
This article explores pastoral change in Kenya's Central Rift Valley. It discusses how local pastoralists have adapted livestock mobility to a landscape subjected to the advancement of economic ...frontiers and rapid urbanization. We argue that the set of strategies deployed is constitutive of 'interstitial pastoralism.' This is present in many contemporary contexts where pastoralists are squeezed in the interstices of rangelands that they no longer control, and struggle for access to grazing grounds and social recognition. This struggle configures as part of peasants' adaptation and resistance vis-à-vis global capital expansion and its manifestations.
Birds of the Masai Marais a remarkably beautiful photographic guide featuring the bird species likely to be encountered by visitors to the popular Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. With an ...eye-catching layout, easy-to-use format, and no-jargon approach, the book contains more than 300 stunning photographs covering over 200 species of birds and is accessible and informative, rather than purely identification-based. A handy, brief introduction provides visitors with background on the habitats of the national park, and the guide's habitat-based approach makes it simple to identify any bird species according to where it is found. Based on the firsthand experiences of the author,Birds of the Masai Marais an ideal companion to all those visiting the national reserve and to bird aficionados interested in learning more about the region.
The only photographic guide to focus solely on the bird species of the Masai Mara National ReserveMore than 300 remarkable photographs covering over 200 speciesAccessible text explores bird species behavior and species etymologyA brief and handy introduction examines the habitats of the Masai MaraEasy-to-use habitat-based layout makes exciting birdwatching easy
Reliable estimates of animal density are fundamental to understanding ecological processes and population dynamics. Furthermore, their accuracy is vital to conservation because wildlife authorities ...rely on estimates to make decisions. However, it is notoriously difficult to accurately estimate density for wideranging carnivores that occur at low densities. In recent years, significant progress has been made in density estimation of Asian carnivores, but the methods have not been widely adapted to African carnivores, such as lions (Panthera leo). Although abundance indices for lions may produce poor inferences, they continue to be used to estimate density and inform management and policy. We used sighting data from a 3-month survey and adapted a Bayesian spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) model to estimate spatial lion density in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and surrounding conservancies in Kenya. Our unstructured spatial capture-recapture sampling design incorporated search effort to explicitly estimate detection probability and density on afine spatial scale, making our approach robust in the context of varying detection probabilities. Overall posterior mean lion density was estimated to be 17.08 (posterior SD 1.310) lions > 1 year old/100 km², and the sex ratio was estimated at 2.2 females to 1 male. Our modeling framework and narrow posterior SD demonstrate that SECR methods can produce statistically rigorous and precise estimates of population parameters, and we argue that they should be favored over less reliable abundance indices. Furthermore, our approach is flexible enough to incorporate different data types, which enables robust population estimates over relatively short survey periods in a variety of systems. Trend analyses are essential to guide conservation decisions but are frequently based on surveys of differing reliability. We therefore call for a unified framework to assess lion numbers in key populations to improve management and policy decisions. Las estimaciones confiables de la densidad animal son fundamentales para el entendimiento de los procesos ecológicos y las dinámicas poblacionales. Más allá, su certeza es vital para la conservación porque las autoridades de la vida silvestre dependen de las estimaciones para tomar decisiones. Sin embargo, es notoria la dificultad que existe para estimar con certeza la densidad de los carnívoros con una extensión amplia que están presentes en densidades bajas. En años recientes, se ha avanzado significativamente en la estimación de densidad de los carnívoros asiáticos, pero los métodos no han sido adaptados ampliamente para los carnívoros africanos como los leones (Panthera leo,). Aunque los índices de abundancia para los leones pueden producir inferencias pobres, todavía se usan para estimar la densidad e informar al manejo y a la política. Utilizamos datos de avistamientos de un censo de tres meses y adaptamos un modelo bayesiano de captura-recaptura espacialmente explícito (CREE) para estimar la densidad espacial de los leones en la Reserva Nacional Maasai las reservas circundantes. Nuestro muestreo desestructurado de capturarecaptura espacial incorporó esfuerzos de búsqueda para estimar explícitamente la probabilidad de detección y la densidad en una escala espacial fina, lo que hizo a nuestra estrategia convincente en el contexto de las probabilidades de detección variantes. En general, se estimó que la densidad media de leones era 17.08 (DS posterior 1.310) leones > 1 año de edad/100 km², y se estimó que la proporción de sexos era 2.2 hembras por 1 macho. Nuestro marco de trabajo de la modelación y la DS posterior estrecha demuestran que los métodos CREE pueden producir estimaciones de los parámetros poblacionales estadísticamente rigurosas y precisas, y argumentamos que deberían ser favorecidos por encima de los índices de abundancia menos confiables. Además, nuestra estrategia es lo suficientemente flexible para incorporar diferentes tipos de datos, lo que habilita estimaciones poblacionales convincentes con periodos relativamente cortos de censos en una variedad de sistemas. Los análisis de las tendencias son esenciales para guiar a las decisiones de la conservación pero están basadas frecuentemente en censos de confianza discrepante. Por lo tanto hacemos un llamado por un marco de trabajo unificado para valorar los números de leones en poblaciones clave para mejorar las decisiones de manejo y política.
The present article is dedicated to the syntax, morphology, and phonetics of ideophones in Arusa Maasai. After examining the compliance of 69 ideophonic lexemes with the typologically driven ...prototype of an ideophone, the authors conclude that Arusa ideophones may range from canonical to non-canonical even within a single language module. When syntax, morphology, and phonetics are considered jointly, holophrastic and asyntagmatic ideophones are more canonical than ideophones used as verbal modifiers and parts of complex predicates, which are, in turn, more canonical than predicative ideophones. The extent of canonicity is inversely correlated with the systematicity and integration of ideophones in sentence grammar and their diffusion into other lexical classes: predicative ideophones have been fully incorporated into the category of verbs; for ideophones employed as verbal modifiers, a comparable incorporation into the category of adverbs has not been completed; for all the other types, especially holophrastic and asyntagmatic, ideophones still maintain their categorical individuality. Overall, ideophones constitute an “old” category in Arusa, one that is well advanced on its grammaticalization cline.
Human-wildlife conflict in Kenya is a complex issue with environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Conservation education can raise awareness of environmental issues, by increasing knowledge, ...promoting positive attitudes, leading to proenvironmental behaviours. Educated youth can become ‘conservation ambassadors’ who help spread messages through the community. This qualitative study critically examined the extent to which this took place using the Wildlife Warriors Kids education programme, in areas of human-wildlife conflict in Kenya. Data were collected on students’ knowledge, attitudes and practice in three primary schools in Maasai areas; in one of these school areas, interviews and a focus group were also held with Maasai community members. The influence on students was evident, regarding knowledge about wildlife, positive attitudes and an understanding of pro-environmental behaviours. The filtration of knowledge and pro-environmental behaviours to the community level was positive but limited. Culture and human wildlife conflict were the predominant factors influencing attitudes. It was evident there is a need to include intergenerational learning, and focus attention on cultural and environmental challenges, to enhance the filtration of conservation education to the community.
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