Like many rural communities across Africa, the Masai and Kamba people who live alongside Kenya’s national parks are under pressure to change their traditional ways of life. The parks themselves are a source of sustained pressure, as traditional grazing lands have been sectioned off, and pastoralists are forced to take their animals further into the reserves. This in turn has taken its toll on the health and productivity of their herds.

In sharp contrast, profitable dairying depends on having the freedom of movement beyond the official boundaries of a park in what is called the dispersal zone. This has increased the strain on farming livelihoods, as herbivores destroy crops and compete with livestock for limited grazing fields, and predators inflict further losses on flocks and herds. Evidence suggests that the poorest lose the most. No wonder that many who live on the edges of national parks are unable to see any benefits from wildlife tourism.

In Kenya, the government has acted to try to limit the losses and share some of the profits earned by the tourism sector. The Kenya Wildlife Service that is responsible for tourism and wildlife conservation is charged with spreading more of the benefits to the local communities, and a scheme exists to compensate local people for loss of crops, livestock and for injuries caused due to attacks from wild animals.

There have also been attempts to involve the local communities in the various tourist activities. However, despite such attempts, research suggests that only 2% of the tourism industry’s profits actually go to the local people, the bulk of this tiny percentage is now going to the local leaders and those with the capital and know how to exploit the tourism market. The Kenyan experience is now an eye-opener for other countries like India.

In kerala holiday package with options to visit wildlife in all its majesty had many takers and the state government is now considering options to share this income with the people living in the fringes of the forests. Thus, these people will be encouraged to take care of the forests and thus deforestation can be controlled to a greater extent.
11:22 PM 2/4/2010

This information are all helpful to me. im actually planning to have a wildlife trip to Africa. could somebody add up more exciting things for me to discover over in Africa.