Mpala Research Centre Discovery Day 2014

1. Wild Dogs, Cheetahs &
Communities in Northern Kenya
PI: Rosie Woodroffe
Zoological Society London) PhD: Helen O’Neill
Stefanie Strebel

2. Kenya Rangelands
Wild Dog & Cheetah
Project
• Originally Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project (2001)
• Addition of Sarah Durant (Serengeti Cheetah Project,
ZSL) as project partner and Helen O’Neill as a PhD
student studying connectivity and movement
• Collaboration with Zeitz Foundation (project
partner): community outreach

3. Current
Research
Activities
• Fostering coexistence with
people and livestock
– Monitoring livestock
predation
– Refining livestock husbandry
– Determining prey availability
– Evaluating land use
• Developing management
guidelines for infectious
disease
• Identifying movement
corridors
– GPS collars
– Mapping barriers
• Developing non-invasive
survey methods:
– Faecal DNA
– Spoor Surveys
– Camera Trapping
– Photo IDs
– Scout-based monitoring

4. Monitoring & Community Outreach
• Liasing with other Conservancies (Managers,
Security and Rangers)
- Losiaba
- Ol Doinyo Lemboro
- Segera
- Ol Pejeta
- Ol Jogi
- Sosian
- Ilngwesi Community
Conservancy
- West Gate Community
Conservancy
- Naibunga Conservancy
- Lolldaiga Hills
Conservation Landscape
(Lolldaiga Hills Ltd., Ole
Naishu, Enasoit, Ol Jogi)
• Zeitz Foundation
- Community Outreach Arts Theatre Group
- Laikipia Unity Programme

5. Ways YOU can help!
• Sightings, photos & GPS locations!
– Contributes to our database on movement,
population estimates and photo-IDs.
ANY information is greatly appreciated!