Local Communities at the Heart of Conservation
Kenya’s wildlife faces growing pressure from human activity and modern development, and the country’s national parks and game reserves are often stretched in their efforts to protect it. Wildlife conservancies offer a powerful extra layer of protection.
The difference lies in who manages the land. A national park or game reserve is run by the state, whereas a conservancy is managed by an individual, a company, or a group of private or communal landowners who pool their land for wildlife management and to improve their livelihoods.
Conservancies work alongside the national parks and reserves. They allow neighbouring communities to own conservation and benefit directly from wildlife, and those better livelihoods give people a real stake in reversing the decline of wildlife and protecting it for future generations.
The three types of conservancy
Community conservancies are formed by local communities on land they own together. They are run by community representatives with professional support from the Kenya Wildlife Service and tourism partners, and are found next to national parks such as Amboseli and Tsavo.
Group conservancies combine neighbouring private landholdings into an area large enough for wildlife conservation. The landowners manage them together with wildlife and tourism professionals, and most are found around the Masai Mara.
Private conservancies are created on large private ranches by individuals, families, non profit wildlife organisations or companies, for the purpose of wildlife conservation and management. Most are found in the Laikipia region of Kenya.
Conservancy
