Why there is human wildlife conflict in Nairobi

Nairobi city and its environ is on high alert after several lions have been spotted taking a ‘wild tour’ in the crowded Nairobi city and its environs. As human populations expand and natural habitats shrink, people and animals are increasingly coming into conflict over living space and food. The problem is universal, affects rich and poor, and is bad news for all concerned. Conflicts and controversies involving interactions between human beings, their communities, and the environment have become defining issues of our time.

Human wildlife conflict refers to the interaction between wild animals and people and the resultant negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their habitat. It occurs when growing human populations overlap with established wildlife territory, creating reduction of resources or life to some people and or wild animals. The conflict takes many forms ranging from loss of life or injury to humans, and animals both wild and domesticated, to competition for scarce resources to loss and degradation of habitat. We need to look for ways to mitigate human wildlife conflict.