Wildlife diversity and their interaction with people for sustainable use ion the semi arid areas of Northern Mount Meru ecosystem (Tanzania).

The wildlife diversity in the Mount Meru ecosystem in northern Tanzania, and the interaction of the wildlife with the local population, composed of Maasai, Waarusha and Meru ethnic communities, was studied through a field research between May 2005 and May 2007. The status of wildlife resources, their presence, distribution, seasonal trends and migration patterns were one of the main focus during the research, using two ground based survey techniques, road transects (by vehicle) and foot transects (walking transects). The second emphasis was placed on the major interactions between wildlife and people, and the attitude of local communities towards conservation of wildlife resources in their village lands. This complex was analyzed through a questionnaire survey. The results showed a high wildlife diversity in the northern dry lands of Mount Meru ecosystem. The abundance of wildlife, their trends and migration patterns were highly influenced by the seasons of the year. The findings suggested that the two methods used were most suitable for surveying wildlife within such environments. More species were recorded along the foot transects than in the road transects. The study also revealed that the only remaining wildlife migration corridor that links Arusha National Park with the northern savannah plains is threatened getting blocked. This corridor on the northern slopes of Mount Meru runs through the lands of Kisimiri villages. In order to avoid Arusha National Park on Mount Meru becoming an isolated protected area, the corridor needs urgent conservation measures by involving local communities. The three resident ethnic groups were involved in the questionnaire survey, i.e. Maasai, Waarusha and Meru. Wildlife damage was considered as the major interaction between people and wildlife. The level and kind of damages differed among the three ethnic groups, depending on their particular economic activities, being pastoralism, agropastoralism and peasant farming respectively. Also the people’s attitude on willingness to manage and own the wildlife resources within the village lands was highly biased by the economic activities performed by the ethnic group. The study suggests for the effective conservation of the wildlife within this area in general, and the safeguarding of the migration corridor in particular, a specific community based wildlife conservation program should be developed. The direct involvement of local communities in the decision making process regarding the use of the wildlife resources in the area could help to gain more confidence on wildlife management among the local population, and thus will enhance the conservation objectives.