Possibilities of local people to coexist with large carnivores in the eastern Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania

Abstract Creating harmonic coexistence between large carnivores and local people requires proper and strategic management practices to be employed by integrating locals’ and researchers’ knowledge. In the present study, a total of 180 respondents from the Maasai tribe (n = 90) and Sonjo tribe (n = 90) in eastern Serengeti, northern Tanzania, were randomly selected to test their views on their coexistence with large carnivores. The majority of the respondents (52%) agreed that there are possibilities to coexist with large carnivores if local and government measures are implemented. However, Maasai people (76%) were more willing to coexist with large carnivores than Sonjo people were (25%). In addition, local people strongly recommended the use of wired bomas and adult herders accompanied by domestic dogs. These are the possible measures that could promote the coexistence between people and large carnivores in eastern Serengeti.