Tanzania, renowned for its cultural diversity, stunning landscapes, and rich biodiversity, is home to an impressive array of carnivore species. Iconic species such as the African lion (Panthera leo) commanding the vast savannas, to the colorful African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) transversing the dense forests, the carnivores of Tanzania play key roles in maintaining the health and balance of its ecosystems. These predators regulate populations, prevent overgrazing, control the spread of zoonotic disease, and contribute to the overall biodiversity of their habitats. The country’s national parks and reserves, including Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Selous Game Reserve, are celebrated internationally for their carnivore populations and are crucial for overall wildlife conservation. However, despite hosting such wonderful carnivore diversity, Tanzania faces significant challenges at preserving these species. The loss of carnivore species in Tanzania would have detrimental ecological consequences, disrupting multiple trophic levels and severely weakening ecosystem resilience. Ecotourism is one of the primary economic industries for Tanzania, employing more than 600,000 people directly and up to 2 million indirectly, and contributes about 17% GDP for the country (URT, 2015). This level of ecotourism relies heavily on charismatic, and widely available wildlife to attract visitors from a global audience. Efforts to conserve carnivores must therefore be holistic, incorporating habitat protections, conflict mitigation, community and cultural involvement, and strong policy frameworks. Understanding and addressing factors in carnivore diversity loss, and human-carnivore conflict in Tanzania is essential for not only preserving these magnificent creatures but also for maintaining the ecological integrity and sustainability of one Africa’s most biodiverse nations.

Rapid human population growth, habitat encroachment, and agricultural expansion are leading to widespread habitat fragmentation and loss. This encroachment often brings humans and wildlife into close contact, increasing the likelihood of human-carnivore conflict. One of the most frequent forms of conflict is livestock predation. Many communities on Tanzania rely heavily on livestock for their livelihoods. Livestock predation by carnivores such as lions, leopards (Panthera pardus), wild dogs, spotted hyenas (Crocuta Crocuta), and jackals (Canis spp.) results in economic losses for local communities. These losses often cause a negative view of carnivores by local communities, particularly large predators and often lead to retaliatory killing. Additionally, the decline of natural prey due to habitat reduction, water resource depletion and overhunting for bushmeat or sport increase the pressure on carnivore populations, pushing them to seek food in human-dominated areas. Climate change adds further issue by altering habitats and availability of resources, forcing carnivores to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape. These threats are compounded by inadequate enforcement of wildlife protection laws and lack of comprehensive policies that address the multifaceted nature of these challenges.

General objectives for this project are to create a long running project that seeks to understand human-carnivore conflict through community and wildlife surveys. Through this understanding mitigation and solution strategies can protect both carnivore species as well as humans.