Use of camera traps in monitoring human-wildlife interactions around the Nairobi National Park Kenya

Abstract

With the human populations in Africa constantly increasing, protected areas are faced with the threat of encroachment. The areas neighbouring wildlife parks have been converted to human settlements with varied anthropogenic activities. Expansive conversion of land for agricultural practices and clearance of space for infrastructural development around protected areas have resulted in increased human-wildlife interactions and potential conflicts. This study employed the use of camera traps on 3 farms on the southern border of the Nairobi National Park-Kenya to find out which wildlife species stray into the community areas, how frequently the species visit the area, what anthropogenic activities are practised and what potential conflicts can be associated with specific species. The images captured were analyzed using the Timelapse software. The common species observed were ungulates (zebras and giraffes) and carnivores (lions, jackals and hyenas). The ungulates visited the area during the day while most carnivores were seen at night. The main human activity in the area is livestock rearing. Dirt road networks in the area are frequently used by humans and shared with wildlife thus the potential conflicts were livestock predation and threats to human lives. Based on our results additional camera traps are recommended to be installed in more locations and should be used over a long period of time to monitor human-wildlife interactions with the aim of finding better mitigation methods for their coexistence.