Elephant captured on one of the village camera-traps
Ruaha Carnivore Project
Monitoring wildlife presence
To ensure that local benefits are tied to wildlife presence, the first step is enabling communities to monitor wildlife on their land. Each village selects two 'community camera-trapping officers' who are trained and employed to use camera-traps, which they place at what they think are the most wildlife-rich areas of their villages. Camera-traps are checked every month and images shown in the village to raise awareness.
The community needs to want to engage with the programme, and take ownership at all levels. There needs to be sufficient funding for the equipment and salaries.
There needs to be widespread discussion with the community to understand the programme, so that camera-traps are not damaged or stolen. The wider engagement, by showing the images in the villages, was also very important for raising interest and awareness about conservation.