Better data, stronger conservation decisions for Laikipia conservancies.

In February, we met  Naibunga Upper Conservancy, for a data monitoring follow-up visit, to strengthen the use of the SMART conservation data management system. The engagement focused on improving data flow, quality control, and reporting processes across SMART Desktop, SMART Connect, and SMART Mobile platforms. Areas of review included patrol data entry accuracy, database management, and consistency in uploading patrol data.

Strengthening the use of SMART is critical to ensuring that conservancies generate reliable data to inform patrol planning, wildlife monitoring, and timely response to conservation challenges.

Ecological monitoring during the reporting period was conducted under heightened insecurity in Northern Laikipia, which affected patrol mobility and monitoring consistency. Despite these challenges, patrol teams covered 387,033.2 hectares, with 14 conservancies now actively sharing monitoring data through the LCA Data Hub.

During the period, one elephant mortality and one human-wildlife incident were recorded, while a total of 10 predation cases and three fence damage incidents were also reported. Data continues to show that lion predation remains the primary driver of human-wildlife conflict in the region.

Compared to January, there has been a noticeable increase in human-wildlife conflict in the northern conservancies, largely attributed to insecurity which has disrupted grazing patterns and reduced patrol mobility, increasing livestock exposure to wildlife.

To address these challenges, conservancies will prioritize several actions in March, including maintaining surveillance along key wildlife corridors, strengthening real-time reporting systems, increasing patrol coverage in under-monitored areas, and enhancing mitigation measures for predation-related human-wildlife conflict.

Declines in key species sightings may indicate changes in patrol coverage in northern blocks rather than confirmed population declines.