New Atlas mapping wildlife movement corridors across Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya, launched

New transboundary Atlas of critical Wildlife Corridors that are mapped across the vast Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania landscape has just been launched

As wildebeest start to make their return migration from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania towards the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, scientists from the nonprofit Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), along with many other partners, have released a new Atlas mapping critical wildlife movement corridor.

The corridors identified in the Transboundary Corridor Atlas for the Southern Kenya–Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT) Landscape, according to conservators, will help vital migratory species survive and thrive in a region where, ever scarcer resources mean the ability to move is increasingly critical. 

The Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania region is known for its diversity of wildlife species, such as wildebeest, elephants, lions and zebras, as well as Indigenous cultures, and eight internationally renowned and iconic protected conservation areas including Serengeti-Mara, Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro and Tsavo-Mkomazi.

The new Atlas supports conservation efforts for the region’s important ecosystems and wildlife by assessing 24 wildlife corridors along the Kenya-Tanzania border, compiling baseline data to help track habitat connectivity over time, and identifying governance needs to support future conservation actions.

Of the 24 corridors assessed, only 13 are functionally connected. 

The role of these corridors is profound both for wildlife populations and for people.

Tourism is a major economic driver in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT) with millions of visitors drawn to the region’s rich biodiversity and spectacular wildlife events, such as the annual Serengeti-Mara wildebeest migration.

This natural phenomenon, often referred to as the “Seventh Wonder of the Natural World”; involves more than 1.3 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles traversing the plains in search of grazing land.

The tourism industry generates significant revenue for both Kenya and Tanzania, supporting conservation efforts and providing benefits for local communities.

However, rapid conversion of lands to private farms, fencing, urban development and roads are blocking migratory corridors and dispersal areas that wildlife need for movement.

It is critical for the resilience of the entire ecosystem that migratory corridors and dispersal areas are managed in ways that allow wildlife to move freely while safely co-existing with people.

The Atlas demonstrates that as well as reducing human wildlife conflicts by providing wildlife with safe passage through human-dominated landscapes, corridors support vital ecological functions.

These include water purification, soil fertility, and carbon sequestration, meaning corridors also provide a healthier and more beneficial environment for both wildlife and people. 

Thanks to local data shared by numerous partner organizations, the team was able to map species-specific movement routes allowing the Atlas to visually represent key corridors and so aid conservation planning and policy development in the SOKNOT landscape.

“If we can conserve these specific landscapes we have identified as being most important for wildlife movement and promote sustainable management where people benefit from wildlife conservation, we will give wildebeests and other species room to roam without getting into trouble,” says Senior Conservation Scientist at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Dr. Annika Keeley, who led the project.

“It’s a win-win for both wildlife and local communities.”

The team of scientists that created the Atlas focused on seven key species representing a wide range of habitat needs: African savanna elephants, plains zebra, wildebeest, Masai giraffe, lion, cheetah and African wild dog. 

“The needs of the species studied were a greater consideration when we mapped the corridors as they are an important species for regional culture and tourism and are increasingly involved in human-wildlife conflict,” added Dr. Keeley

“Climate change was also considered as migrating species need to leave protected areas on a seasonal basis to find water and pasture,” said Dr Martin Mulama, interim WWF SOKNOT Lead “Isolation within a park or other protected areas could be fatal for them.”

Dr Mulama said that one of the major challenges is demarcating the corridors on the ground and advocating for legal recognition if we are to keep them open to allow free movement of wildlife and ensure safe coexistence with people.