Using incentive payments to promote human-carnivore coexistence

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Human-Wildlife Conflict
• Community-Based Conservation

Background:

• Minimizing financial burdens from large carnivores is crucial for their conservation.
• Incentive-based programs offer a promising approach to human-carnivore coexistence.
• Research on incentive-based conservation for large carnivores is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the design, implementation, and results of a novel lion conservation incentive payment (CIP) program.
• To assess the effectiveness of financial incentives in promoting human-lion coexistence in Tanzania.
• To identify lessons learned for developing similar conservation schemes.

Main Methods:

• A case study of a 3-year pilot CIP program in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
• Direct payments to villages based on monthly lion observations.
• Household surveys to gauge program awareness and support.

Main Results:

• Villages earned over double the value of livestock lost to lions.
• Program earnings were primarily invested in education-related projects.
• High levels of community awareness and support for the CIP program were observed.

Conclusions:

• The CIP program demonstrated success in mitigating human-lion conflict and supporting local development.
• Key factors for success include a practical payment framework, adaptive communication, and stakeholder support.
• The findings offer valuable insights for designing sustainable incentive-based conservation programs globally.