Human-elephant conflict in areas adjacent to the Tsavo National Parks, Kenya

Abstract

This thesis investigates the issue of human-elephant conflict in the Tsavo ecosystem, which has the largest single population of elephants in Kenya. In the Tsavo ecosystem elephants that move out of the Tsavo National Parks became 'problem elephants' as they damage crops, kill people and threaten human life. In addition the presence of elephants in settled areas causes fear and insecurity. Many factors determined the intensity of human-elephant conflict in Tsavo, but five of these were the most significant. These were human population density, percentage of land under cultivation, type of land ownership, fencing and the type of natural vegetation. Conflict was highest on private ownership small holdings with permanent water and wooded bushland type of natural vegetation