Assessment of Habitat and Wildlife Density in Community Wildlife Sanctuaries Amboseli Ecosystem, Kenya

Abstract

Community wildlife sanctuaries within the Amboseli ecosystem serve as a wildlife corridor for migratory species from Amboseli National Park. The sanctuaries are community-based conservation areas that provide wildlife with necessary resources outside of Amboseli National Park and grant the local community managerial rights to the land and its resources. Data were collected in six sanctuaries located in Kimana Group Ranch. Foot counts were used to collect information on habitat types, vegetative health, and species presence within the sanctuaries. Each sanctuary was individually assessed upon habitat availability ? measured by habitat proportion and vegetative health ? based on a scoring system modified from Herlocker. Wildlife density and habitat preference by wildlife were calculated using the Jacob?s Index. Additionally, seasonal and annual wildlife density variations were determined using similar data collected since 2010. Habitat heterogeneity proved to be the best predictor for wildlife presence in the sanctuaries, while habitat quality was less influential in observed wildlife presence. A one-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in the annual variation of wildlife densities among the sanctuaries. The six community wildlife sanctuaries have been found to act effectively as a wildlife corridor for the species observed throughout the study.