Living Landscapes: Participatory Mapping of Wildlife Corridors and Human–Wildlife Conflict Hotspots in SolutionScape 2 (Isiolo

Area of Interest

Project Area

Participatory mapping was conducted across selected locations in Isiolo & Meru to capture community knowledge on wildlife movement and conflict patterns.

Landscape focus: Solutionscape 2
Approach: FGDs + local knowledge mapping
Outputs: corridors, hotspots, barriers, solutions

What Community Inputs Captured

1

Wildlife Species Presence

What species are seen, when they appear, and where they are most common.

2

Corridor Routes

Route origins/destinations, seasonality, and barriers such as farms, fences, and settlements.

3

Conflict Hotspots

Type of conflict, season, frequency, and severity of incidents.

4

Coping Measures & Interventions

Local coping methods already used and proposed solutions (e.g., fencing, trenches, lighting, patrols).

5

Decision-Making & Governance

Who decides and responds elders, grazing committees, local administration, KWS, and other institutions involved in land, grazing, and conflict resolution.

Outputs support corridor protection Hotspot ranking for action planning Community-led evidence for decisions

What the community sees on the ground

Elephants

Major driver of crop damage and threats to human safety.

Seasonality: often peaks around rains/harvest

Hotspots: some areas report year-round risk

Impact: farms, pathways, water points, and homesteads

Hyenas

Frequent livestock predators, reported as daily in some hotspots.

Frequency: often very high (night-time attacks common)

Targets: goats, sheep, calves, poultry (varies by area)

Impact: loss of income and increased guarding burden

Seasonal corridors linked to rains, harvest, and dry spells

Kandebene – Seasonal Elephant Corridors

Elephants move through Kandebene corridors primarily during January–February, May–June, and November–December, aligning closely with harvest periods and rainy seasons.

Corridors connect Nkunga Forest to Libiita and surrounding areas.
Movement intensifies when crops mature.
Some elephants conduct “crop scouting” before returning in larger groups.
Barriers include expanding farms and settlements (both new and long-standing).
Corridor 1 (Nkunga–Tbt–Kongo) is at high risk of blockage.

High Risk of Encroachment

Lailuba – Harvest-Driven Corridors

Wildlife corridors are seasonally active during December–February and June–July, coinciding with crop maturity and competition for water.

Concentration areas include Mautu, Nkathuini, and Nkurui.
Settlements, irrigation farming, and schools obstruct movement.
Some routes are already closed or nearly blocked.
Water abstraction from rivers reduces wildlife access.

Corridor Closure Imminent

Chumvi / Turingwi–Aregae – Dry Spell & Year-Round Routes

Several corridors are used throughout the year, while others intensify during dry spells as wildlife search for water and forage.

Routes connect Dam–Matabari–Lower Ngila–Amekwi and Atir–Chumvi corridors.
High overlap with human access paths (markets, grazing areas).
Barriers include farms, settlements, and expanding land subdivision.
Demarcation and electric fencing repeatedly recommended.
Lower Ngila and Elemet flagged as high-risk hotspots.

Urgent Demarcation Needed

Sukuma–Akunoit – Overlapping Risks Corridor

Multiple routes are used year-round or intensively during dry spells (Jan–March, Sept–Nov).

Routes link Kisile–Kijito–Sukuma–Apulei and Buffalo Park–Dam–Nasuroi.
High overlap between wildlife, herders, charcoal burners, and insecurity zones.
Elephants use corridors to access water sources.
Severe human fatalities recorded in Sukuma hotspot.
Corridor blockage risk is elevated due to farming and settlement expansion.

Highest Priority for Intervention

Priority Human–Wildlife Conflict Hotspots

Chumvi & Shaaba High Frequency

Elephant crop damage and threats to human life combine with very frequent hyena livestock predation.

Very High Severity Close to Settlements High Exposure

Key species: Elephants, Hyenas
Main conflicts: crop destruction, human safety risk, livestock predation
Why priority: hotspots occur near farms, grazing areas, and daily movement routes.

Elephant–farm interface Night predation risk

Ngaremara Landscape Daily Conflicts

Multiple hotspots with severe daily conflicts involving diverse wildlife and high overlap with settlements and farms.

Severe Multi-species Property Damage

Key species: Elephants, Hyenas, Lions, Snakes, Foxes, Cheetah (in places)
Main conflicts: crop damage, property damage, threats to life, livestock predation
Why priority: risk spreads across several villages due to corridor + settlement overlap.

Clustered hotspots High response demand

Sukuma Top Priority

Repeated severe incidents and strong community narratives of risk to human life, especially along shared access paths.

Human Life Risk Recurring Dry-spell pressure

Key species: Elephants (primary), Hyenas (nearby hotspots)
Main conflicts: threats to life, farm destruction, corridor-based encounters
Why priority: persistent conflict history + corridor constriction increases encounters.

Protection-first zone Rapid mitigation

Gambella Wetland Area Sensitive Habitat

Elephants damage wetland structure and seedlings; reports include human deaths. Conflicts are severe and close to settlements.

Severe Wetland Impact Close to Market/Settlements

Key species: Elephants (main), plus monkeys/hyenas in wider area
Main conflicts: wetland trampling, seedling destruction, threats to life
Why priority: overlaps a fragile ecosystem and community livelihood investments.

Restoration at risk Corridor pinch points

Maili Saba / Nane

High Corridor Pressure Near Closure Settlement Growth

Corridor pressure and settlement growth are pushing some routes toward closure. Multiple species affect both crops and livestock.

Crop Impacts

Species: Elephants, Monkeys, Waterbucks
Conflicts: crop destruction and fear limiting movement/school attendance in peak periods
Pressure: farms + fences + settlement expansion reducing corridor width

Livestock & Property Risks

Species: Hyenas, Leopards (and dogs impacted)
Conflicts: livestock predation, dogs attacked, persistent night-time insecurity
Trend: predation risk rises where corridors are “pinched” near homesteads

Monitor corridor bottlenecks Protect farms & livestock Prioritize safe routes for people

Living Landscapes: Participatory Mapping of Wildlife Corridors and Human–Wildlife Conflict Hotspots in SolutionScape 2 (Isiolo–Meru)