Approaches and Constraints for Community Participation in Wildlife Conservation: A Case Study of the Rungwa Game Reserve in the Manyoni District

Abstract

The study was tailored to assess the approaches and constraints for community participation in wildlife conservation in the Rungwa Game Reserve particularly in the Rungwa and Mwamagembe villages in the Manyoni District. Specifically, the study focused on the approaches used for community participation and constraints facing communities that participate in wildlife conservation. A sample size of 98 respondents was involved in the study. Data were collected using questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews, field observations, focus group discussions and document reviews. Data were analyzed with Statistical Product Service Solution (IBM-SPSS20). The results were produced in the form of tables, mean/averages, frequencies, plates/photographs, and figures. The communities’ participation observations in wildlife conservation revealed that publicity and community based conservation were the main approaches used in the studied area. Local community argued that the Rungwa Game Reserves inadequately provided conservation education to adjacent villages. The failure of the game reserve to allow meaningful local participation lead to hatred, resentment, and illegal off take of natural resources from the game reserve, resulting in poor wildlife conservation.