RESEARCHERS from the Pennsylvanian State University, abbreviated as _Penn State, say that the lack of food, not money, is the primary driver of poaching and other illegal activities at the Mkomazi National Park.

Doctoral student Gasto Lyakurwa led the study, which was based on a survey covering 267 household heads in villages bordering the park to understand the factors leading to illegal activities in the park.

The study highlights the need for sustainable solutions that balance conservation with local community needs, sparking debate as it came out in the journal Conservation, shedding light on the complex relationship between human livelihoods and wildlife conservation in East Africa.

The researchers examined how food security, financial security and educational security influence the likelihood of local residents engaging in illegal activities within the park, the summary indicated.

Mkomazi National Park, established in 1951, covers over 1,250 square miles of protected habitat for otherwise endangered wildlife, including elephants, lions, buffalo and rhinoceroses.

“However, its creation displaced large numbers of people, creating tension between conservation efforts and local communities’ needs,” the study suggested, despite that much of the area is in past decades rather sparsely populated.

They said that the research findings challenge common assumptions about poaching motivations, with Edwin Sabuhoro, an assistant professor of recreation, park and tourism management at Penn State, explaining the findings.

“For countless generations, the people in this area relied on that land for meat, traditional medicines, firewood, fish and timber. These resources were essential to the people’s livelihood, but suddenly, they were cut off from the land. Even though local people told us they feel connected to the wild animals, they also made it clear that they are not likely to respect park boundaries if they cannot feed themselves or their children.”

Key findings from the study include: 253 out of 267 surveyed families earned their livelihood through agriculture. The average annual household income was $1,115.

Further, 74 percent of household heads had only primary school education. Food security was the primary driver of illegal activity in the park, the researchers affirmed.

Education and financial security had minimal influence on poaching when accounting for food security, the summary noted, underlining the need for a more holistic approach to conservation that addresses the basic needs of local communities.

The prospective doctorate holder emphasizes that communities are expected to support conservation, “but they are facing deprivation. Animals — especially elephants and lions — come out of the parks and trample crops and injure or kill people. Also, the people feel they need park lands to graze their own animals. It is easy to understand why they are not more supportive of park boundaries when their lives are at stake.”

To successfully protect wildlife and their habitat, parks need to prioritize food security for nearby residents, he asserts, intoning that this approach could lead to more sustainable conservation efforts and improved relationships between parks and local communities.

In response to these challenges, Prof. Sabuhoro is helping lead the human wildlife coexistence research network, an initiative bringing together various stakeholders across East Africa to develop solutions that support both conservation efforts and local community needs.

“Traditionally, local people have been expected to comply with rules but have not been invited to participate in the planning or benefits associated with the parks,” he stated, asserting that the network is intended to push for change in that aspect.

Organizing meetings in different East African countries to address specific regional needs, the effort involves local researchers, who bring cultural knowledge and language skills to build trust with communities.

Emphasizing the importance of bringing research findings back to local communities, the study’s findings underscore the need for conservation strategies that address food insecurity while protecting wildlife.

By focusing on sustainable alternatives to meet essential needs in communities adjacent to national parks, conservation and development organizations can work towards a more balanced future for both protected areas and people.

“By training local people in research methods and helping to develop and support meaningful research projects, we can help support management of parks in ways that are sustainable for humans and animals alike,” the don underlined.