Assessing the Indigenous Knowledge on Natural Salt Licks in Sala and Jarajara of Northern Kenya

This paper focused on indigenous knowledge of natural salt licks in Sala Ward (Mandera County) and Jarajara Ward (Garissa County), and thus, the purpose of the study was to document the local knowledge of understanding, use, and management of those salt licks. Mixed methods were used and included a descriptive survey design. Surveys in the field were carried out with the leadership of some knowledgeable community members in search of commonly used natural salt licks. Information was gathered on 99 heads of households through questionnaires as well as purposive key informant interviews with six leaders and experts. The Excel and SPSS were used on quantitative data and the results were described in tables, charts, and graphs. The outcome was that the information about the places to find salt licks and how to use them is sophisticatedly spread among the community and is mostly passed through oral means, with the elders having a pivotal role in the maintenance and passing on information. The ability to know where salt licks could be found through observation of animal behaviour was proven as the most credible among pastoral livelihoods, which is an indication of a high degree of ecological awareness. The research presents findings noting that indigenous knowledge is important in the sustained management of natural salt licks. The study has limitations in its geographical scope and cumulative virtual information. Future research is suggested to be broader in terms of regions and study seasonal variation in knowledge usage and combining the traditional practices and contemporary promising conservation strategies to enhance rangeland management