IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v9y2025issue-9p1684-1705.html

Determinants of Local Residents’ Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Wildlife Conservation in Rimoi National Reserve, Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Douglas O. Onyancha

    (School of Natural Resources Management, University of Eldoret, Kenya)

  • Hellen Ipara

    (School of Natural Resources Management, University of Eldoret, Kenya)

  • Johnstone K. Kimanzi

    (School of Natural Resources Management, University of Eldoret, Kenya)

  • Maaike A. Versteegh

    (Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • B. Irene Tieleman

    (Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

 Local residents’ attitudes and perceptions about protected areas are among the key factors that determine the success of conservation efforts. This paper examines determinants of local residents’ attitudes and perceptions towards wildlife conservation in Rimoi National Reserve (RNR) and its surroundings in Kenya. The study used household surveys, questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs), and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to collect data from local residents bordering RNR, local leaders and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) staff. Questionnaires consisting of closed and open-ended questions were distributed to 20 randomly selected heads of households in seven administrative locations giving a total of 140 respondents. In addition, 30 key informants were purposely selected from among KWS staff (5), local leaders (10), leaders of self-help groups (7), religious leaders (3), and village elders (5). Results showed that local residents’ perceptions were primarily associated with education level, occupation, forms of land use, crop and livestock invasion by wildlife from RNR, benefit-sharing and interaction between RNR staff and the local community. Logging (28%) and charcoal burning (25%) were the major illegal activities in RNR (χ2=50.60, df=6, p<0.001). Slightly over thirty percent of the respondents (32.4%) strongly agreed that RNR is a useful resource to be conserved. Efforts geared towards fostering more positive attitudes and perceptions of local residents towards wildlife and conservation in RNR should be promoted. For conservation goals to be achieved, there is need for involvement of local residents in conservation programs, promotion of wildlife conservation awareness, increased benefit-sharing and adoption of sustainable enterprise programs to alleviate poverty and illegal activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas O. Onyancha & Hellen Ipara & Johnstone K. Kimanzi & Maaike A. Versteegh & B. Irene Tieleman, 2025. "Determinants of Local Residents’ Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Wildlife Conservation in Rimoi National Reserve, Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(9), pages 1684-1705, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-9:p:1684-1705
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-9-issue-9/1684-1705.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/determinants-of-local-residents-attitudes-and-perceptions-towards-wildlife-conservation-in-rimoi-national-reserve-kenya/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Katikiro, Robert E. & Macusi, Edison D. & Ashoka Deepananda, K.H.M., 2015. "Challenges facing local communities in Tanzania in realising locally-managed marine areas," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 220-229.
    2. Ellis, Edward A. & Romero Montero, José Arturo & Hernández Gómez, Irving Uriel & Porter-Bolland, Luciana & Ellis, Peter W., 2017. "Private property and Mennonites are major drivers of forest cover loss in central Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 474-484.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Skutsch, Margaret & Turnhout, Esther, 2020. "REDD+: If communities are the solution, what is the problem?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Meenakshi Shankar Poti & Jean Huge & Kartik Shanker & Nico Koedam & Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, 2022. "Learning from small islands in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO): A systematic review of responses to environmental change," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/346937, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    3. Wenseslao Plata-Rocha & Sergio Alberto Monjardin-Armenta & Carlos Eduardo Pacheco-Angulo & Jesus Gabriel Rangel-Peraza & Cuauhtemoc Franco-Ochoa & Zuriel Dathan Mora-Felix, 2021. "Proximate and Underlying Deforestation Causes in a Tropical Basin through Specialized Consultation and Spatial Logistic Regression Modeling," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Figueroa, Daniela & Galeana-Pizaña, J. Mauricio & Núñez, Juan Manuel & Anzaldo Gómez, Carlos & Hernández-Castro, J. Roberto & Sánchez-Ramírez, María del Mar & Garduño, Andrea, 2021. "Assessing drivers and deterrents of deforestation in Mexico through a public policy tool. The adequacy of the index of economic pressure for deforestation," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    5. Jurjonas, Matthew & Aldana, Lesly, 2020. "The Flyer’s dilemma and the Logger’s case for climate justice," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    6. Špirić, Jovanka & Ramírez, M. Isabel, 2022. "Looking beyond the conflict: Everyday interactions and relations between Maya and Mennonite farmers in the state of Campeche, Mexico," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    7. Raycraft, Justin, 2020. "The (un)making of marine park subjects: Environmentality and everyday resistance in a coastal Tanzanian village," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    8. Ellis, Edward A. & Castillo, David Chacón & Gómez, Irving Uriel Hernández & Madrid Zubirán, Sergio & Cuervo Vega, Sara María, 2025. "Agricultural subsidies augmented tropical deforestation in the state of Campeche, Mexico," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    9. Xun Jiang & Fangming Liu & Jing Yu & Kuncheng Zhang & Zhaohui Zhang & Quanbin Wang, 2024. "Global Trends and Prospects of Community Participation in Marine Protected Areas: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-19, September.
    10. Alpuche Álvarez, Yair Asael & Jepsen, Martin Rudbeck & Müller, Daniel & Rasmussen, Laura Vang & Zhanli, Sun, 2024. "Unraveling the complexity of land use change and path dependency in agri-environmental schemes for small farmers: A serious game approach," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 139.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-9:p:1684-1705. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.