Determinants of Pastoralists Override to the Wildlife Conservation Policies in Muhesi Game Reserve, Tanzania.

Selemani, Hadija (2025) Determinants of Pastoralists Override to the Wildlife Conservation Policies in Muhesi Game Reserve, Tanzania. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the determinants of pastoralists' overrides to wildlife conservation policies in the Muhesi Game Reserve. Specifically, the study examined pastoral community's perception of wildlife resources; underlying factors that force pastoral communities to contravene conservation laws and communities' perceived ways for human-wildlife co-existence in the Muhesi Game Reserve. The pragmatic research philosophy influenced the research design to collect data from 391 respondents. It was found that local community in Muhesi Game Reserve (MGR) shows perceived values towards protecting wildlife and conserving plants, with positive perceptions of tourism benefits and employment opportunities for children in the reserve. The most commonly reported reasons for contravening conservation practices in Muhesi Game Reserve include pasture shortage, poor awareness, the presence of quality pastures in protected areas, local beliefs, inadequate rangelands, and water availability issues. To promote wildlife-human co-existence, the community emphasizes the importance of preventing wild animals from entering villages, improving education, translating conservation laws, sharing wildlife revenues, and involving local people in policy implementation. In conclusion, local communities have a positive perception of wildlife conservation. The study proposes strategies like improved education, better resource distribution, and active community involvement to foster wildlife-human co-existence. Keywords: Conservation, Pastoralism, Livestock Incursion, Community Engagement, Biodiversity.

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