You can’t conserve wildlife without supporting people
In conservation, there’s a common misconception: that saving wildlife is all about protecting land, setting boundaries, and focusing solely on animals. But the truth is far more complex—and far more human.
At Tsavo Trust, we’ve seen it firsthand: you cannot conserve wildlife and habitat without promoting and supporting the communities that live alongside them. This truth is especially clear in Tsavo, where some of Africa’s last remaining Super Tuskers roam landscapes shared with farmers, pastoralists, and growing settlements.
Majestic but problematic: the elephant’s double-edged appeal
Elephants are revered for their intelligence and their trength. It’s this same fierce intelligence and mighty size that makes them so appealing to tourists and conservationists alike.
But for the people living near them, especially smallholder farmers, these same traits pose real challenges. A single elephant can destroy an entire season’s crop overnight. For families relying on subsistence farming, this loss isn’t just economic; it’s a threat to survival.
That’s why community support isn’t just helpful—it’s absolutely crucial to conservation.
A shared history: elephants and people in the Tsavo region
The relationship between people and elephants in Tsavo has not always been harmonious. Historically, the Watha people (also known as Waata or Sanye)—a hunter-gatherer community native to this region—were renowned elephant hunters. Their livelihoods once depended on their deep knowledge of the land and their ability to track, hunt, and harvest elephants for meat and ivory.
In the modern era, with the advent of National Parks and formal conservation laws, many Watha people have struggled with the transition. Their customary trade networks were driven underground, and what was once a respected way of life became illegal. As a result, the community became complicit in the illegal ivory trade during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s—a time when marginalisation and stigma surrounding the tribe began to rise.
It is through community involvement, education, and funding that organisations like Tsavo Trust hope to re-establish a positive relationship between people and wildlife. Our aim is to bring communities into harmony with conservation and empower them to protect—and benefit from—the survival of their former adversary, the elephant.
Today, we have an opportunity to reimagine that relationship not as one of conflict or exploitation, but one of coexistence.
What happens when coexistence fails: lessons from Assam, India
Globally, the stakes are clear. In Assam, India, human–elephant conflict has spiraled out of control:
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Farmers suffer massive crop losses to elephants, rhinos, and wild boars
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People retaliate with electric fences, poisoning, and sometimes deadly force
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Both human and elephant fatalities are on the rise
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Fragmented corridors and poor land-use planning have worsened the problem
This is what happens when communities are excluded from conservation—or left without support. The result isn’t just suffering. It’s failure on both sides.
What Tsavo Trust is doing — from words to action
Working closely with the community isn’t just a side project. It’s at the heart of everything we do at Tsavo Trust, and it always will be. Whether it’s protecting wildlife corridors, supporting education, or fostering local leadership, we know that lasting conservation depends on strong relationships with the people who share this landscape.
Here are just a few recent examples of how we’re turning that commitment into action:
Kamungi Conservancy and Kamungi Bandas
Kamungi lies on a critical wildlife corridor between Tsavo East and Tsavo West. Once degraded by overgrazing, poaching, and charcoal burning, the area has been transformed through community-led conservation.
The Kamungi Bandas, a Tsavo Trust-supported eco-tourism initiative, now help fund everything from wildlife protection to education. They generate income, reduce reliance on destructive practices, and support a conservation model rooted in local empowerment.
Expanding access to knowledge through technology
In January 2025, ARES, in collaboration with Tsavo Trust and Kamungi Conservancy, installed a fully equipped ICT hub at Lukenya Community School in Makueni County. This transformative initiative now serves 250 students and 16 teachers, providing 20 laptops, an ARES server, a projector, and two speakers.
The ARES server, built for rugged environments, delivers high-quality educational content without the need for continuous internet access—an essential feature in remote areas. By integrating technology into rural education, we are helping bridge the digital divide and empower young people in the Tsavo Conservation Area with tools they need to thrive.
Elephant exclusion fences — securing food and futures
Through our 10% Fence Plan, we’ve installed elephant exclusion fences around vulnerable farms, empowering families to grow food without fear.
Mary, a farmer in Kamungi, says:
“For years, most of our crops were destroyed by elephants. Since Tsavo Trust installed the elephant exclusion fence, we can finally plant and harvest without fear.”
In just eight months, her kitchen garden saved the household KES 54,000 (USD 415) in food costs. Extra produce sold earned an additional KES 3,000 (USD 23), which she reinvested into poultry and livestock—creating a more resilient livelihood for her family.
Tsavo Trust’s strategic vision: Goal 2 in action
All of this work ties into Goal 2 of Tsavo Trust’s strategic plan:
Establish strong and effective community-led conservation and development initiatives.
This includes:
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Securing land tenure for two conservancies
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Expanding conservation through new community partnerships
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Mitigating human–wildlife conflict
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Improving governance structures
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Promoting diversified income streams through eco-tourism
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Strengthening local capacity and self-reliance
The goal is simple: build resilient communities that are not only conservation allies, but conservation leaders.
Conclusion: a model for the future
Real conservation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in partnership—between elephants and people, land and livelihoods, knowledge and action.
Tsavo Trust’s work proves that with respect, support, and shared responsibility, we can shift the narrative from conflict to coexistence. We can ensure that elephants continue to roam freely across their ancient corridors, while the communities that live beside them thrive—not just survive.
Because in the end, conservation without community is just a dream. With community, it’s a future we can build together.
If you believe in building a future where people and wildlife thrive together, consider supporting our work. Your donation to Tsavo Trust helps fund community-led conservation, education, and the protection of iconic species like Tsavo’s Super Tuskers.
Donate now and be part of the solution.