Ecological Islands: Wildlife Face Extinction Threat amid Dwindling Wildlife Corridors and Dispersal Areas in Kenya’s Amboseli Ecosystem

Kenya's national parks are renowned for their abundance and diversity of wildlife, offering unique opportunities to witness iconic African wildlife in their natural habitats, including the "Big Five". However, threats to wildlife in Kenya are increasing habitat fragmentation, particularly in areas adjacent to parks. The goal of this study was to determine the implications of emerging land use dynamics on sustainable wildlife in Kenya's Amboseli ecosystem. Primary data was obtained from field surveys, 284 household interviews, and 12 key informants’ interviews, while secondary data was obtained from literature review and benchmarking. The study findings reveal that, despite widespread worries that group ranch subdivision would divide wildlife dispersal areas, the land subdivision has been implemented in all group ranches in the Amboseli ecosystem, and the ranches are now in various phases of the land subdivision process. The study thus concluded that if the current land dynamics within the study area is not managed, the Amboseli National Park risks becoming an ecological island and may suffer substantial deterioration due to the concentration of animals in small regions and the pressure from adjacent land users. Against this backdrop, the study recommends the identification and mapping of the minimum viable Amboseli-Chyulu conservation area and negotiate with individual landowners (of subdivided land). In the same vein, an urgent consensus is needed on the sharing of resources between different users by formulating a negotiated land use framework that will cater to all land and resource use, while conserving critical habitats needed by people, livestock, and wildlife.