Farms and grazing areas sit along active hippo and other wildlife corridors in the upper mara and this results in repeated loss of life and livestock.
The Wildlife Coexistence Trust Land Lease Program is our long-term structural solution to this crisis.
We are strategically leasing high-risk riverbank land from local landowners and converting it into a community-managed conservation buffer zone. Participating families receive lease payments and access to conservation-linked livelihood opportunities such as bee keeping.
Leased lands are consolidated under a community-governed structure, the Upper Mara River Conservancy (UMRC).
The Conservancy:
• Serves as a physical buffer between communities and dangerous wildlife zones
• Provides controlled access points to reduce exposure
• Hosts alternative livelihood enterprises such as beekeeping, tree nurseries, and eco-tourism
• Employs Community Wildlife Rangers to monitor wildlife movement and respond to incidents
This shifts conservation from an external concept to a community-owned intervention.