Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit

asuka, on 21 Mar 2007

Chris-

Sorry, I was not clear on my point. This article was not regarding this particular case of 3 lions. There are many cases of livestock attacks happening along the escarpments, not just this particular case. The case of the three lions was unfortunate and I am not saying that lions deserved to be exterminated. I just wanted to bring out the view of how people around the reserve feel about livestock attack and how the conservancy has helped change their attitude by paying compensation. The compensation was not paid during the county council time so only choice people had to reduce incident of livestock attack was to kill the carnivore. The compensation scheme started last year and it will take time for people to realize that they dont necessary have to revenge the carnivore. Things are changing, but not all people are aware of compensation, area covered is limited and not necessary protecting the vast wildlife movement outside the reserve, or people are not always willing to receive money for price of his precious cattle. The owner of the goat that I went to do postmortem (killed by leopard) and my friend who lost cattle to a lion near Kawai town (8days ago) did not revenge. They reported to conservancy for compensation, so changes are happening in the area.

Yes, in the west people dont kill the driver for the accident. Maybe automobile was not the right comparison Some old generation Maasai will take care of the prized bull better than their own children or wives, so maybe it is much more valuable to them than luxury automobile. My friend got severely beaten up as a child when he told his father to sell his bull to pay for his school fee. Again, things are changing now a days, but some still remains traditional and hard to change their value system.

Carnivore revenge usually involves lions, less so with leopard. Maasai living on the escarpment are Siria clan and they use poison bait, while the Purko Maasai in Koiyaki region across Mara River use both poisonous bait and physical attack. Over the years, Siria opted out for poison bait while Purko still chase down poisoned lions and kill them physically. As a consequence, more Purko are attacked or killed each year to lion in Koiyaki. As for stopping the actual killing, it is difficult for outsider to know when exactly revenge will take place because they would plan the attack in secrecy.

I brought out this article to stress the importance of livestock compensation. Lions would always wonder out of park and Maasai livestock are first to be preyed on. People living next to reserve would not tolerate livestock attack if no measures are taken, most likely would exterminate all the large carnivores the moment they wonder into their neighborhood. Compared to other Maasai living next to parks/reserve, I would say that Siria has tolerated wildlife much more. Twently years ago, people exterminated the lions in the escarpment, since no one wants to walk into lion when they are walking back to their house or have their children getting killed by wild animals when they walk back from school. Siria Maasai don’t attack elephants like Amboseli Maasai, just lets the herd pass by before he himself walks home and elephants know that Maasai in Mara are not threat to them. Recent mobile phone network coverage in this area helped the Maasai to notify their people to take another route when the elephant herd is blocking the road to their homes. In Amboseli, elephant researchers have been paying compensation for livestock when Maasai livestock are killed by elephants (as they have serious comflict between Maasai and elephants). Over the years, incident of elephant killed by Maasai has reduced significantly, something like one per year. So, although it would not be a over night change, people’s attitude will change slowly if correct measures are taken. And I am sure, with the compensation, the large carnivore attack incident will greatly reduce in the Mara. My project aim is to increase income from livestock keeping so people stick with pastoral livestock system and not sell or lease their land to commercial wheat farming or charcoal business since these are not coexistable with wildlife. Another aim is to reduce tension between the reserve and the surrounding community, and this area needs outside help because it involves compensation. The idea of lodge paying compensation sounds great or even having something like people sponsoring lion lives by paying the compensation. Without compensation, there is no hope for wildlife surviving outside the reserve since people prefer to live without risk of their lives and livestock being threatened by large carnivores.

Dana, on 21 Mar 2007

Asuka - Thank you for your insight into the Massai concerning their cattle. The thought of no predator species in the Mara is an awful thought. I do believe that the lodges need to contribute to the compensation of domestic livestock deaths. Without predator species or others like the Amboseli elephants the lodges/companies will loose their tourist dollars. I know the Mara Conservancy can’t foot the whole bill.