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| East African Wildlife Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | East African Wildlife Society |
| Formation | 1961 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Region served | Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda |
| Leader title | President |
East African Wildlife Society is a regional conservation organization founded to promote conservation and sustainable use of wildlife across East Africa and the African Great Lakes region. The society emerged from collaborations among naturalists associated with institutions such as the National Museums of Kenya, Makerere University, and the University of Dar es Salaam and has worked alongside agencies like the Kenya Wildlife Service, Tanzania National Parks Authority, and Uganda Wildlife Authority. Its activities intersect with international frameworks including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and programs of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The society was established in the early 1960s, shortly after independence movements in Kenya and Tanzania and during a period of scientific expansion at institutions such as Royal Society-linked research programs and the Smithsonian Institution partnerships. Early membership included curators from the Natural History Museum, London and academics from Makerere University College, connecting to exploratory expeditions like those of Richard Leakey and administrative reforms influenced by figures associated with the Colonial Office transition. Through the 1970s and 1980s the society contributed to surveys of large mammals across protected areas such as the Serengeti National Park, Maasai Mara National Reserve, and Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda), collaborating with projects funded by agencies including the Ford Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund. The post-1990 era saw engagement with community conservancies inspired by models from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and advocacy during forums like the World Parks Congress.
The society's mission emphasizes conservation of mammals, birds, rivers, and rangelands within Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda while promoting scientific research, policy advice, and public outreach. Activities range from species monitoring in ecosystems such as the Serengeti, Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, and Lake Victoria basin to advising on legislation including wildlife law reforms modeled on frameworks from the Wildlife Conservation Society and debates linked to the Convention on Migratory Species. Educational programs draw on curricula developed with partners like University College London conservation departments and field training with research stations like the Mpala Research Centre.
Programs include anti-poaching support in landscapes bordering parks such as Amboseli National Park and Tarangire National Park, community-based conservation initiatives modeled after IUCN best practices, and species-specific campaigns for taxa like the African elephant, black rhinoceros, lion, and African wild dog. Habitat restoration projects target wetlands of the Mara River and catchments feeding Lake Tanganyika, coordinated with stakeholders including the East African Community and UN Environment Programme offices in Nairobi. The society has assisted translocation and reintroduction efforts paralleling work by Kenya Wildlife Trust and has contributed to long-term monitoring comparable to studies by Serengeti Lion Project and the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences collaborations.
The society publishes periodicals, field guides, and technical reports distributed to institutions such as the National Museums of Kenya, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and university libraries at Makerere University. Its journals and newsletters have featured research from contributors affiliated with University of Oxford, Harvard University, and regional research centers like the International Livestock Research Institute. Educational outreach includes workshops for teachers modeled on programs from the Wildlife Conservation Network and public lectures in collaboration with cultural institutions such as the Kenya National Theatre and nature centers associated with the African Wildlife Foundation.
Partnerships span governmental agencies—Kenya Wildlife Service, Tanzania National Parks Authority, Uganda Wildlife Authority—and international NGOs including the World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, and the Nature Conservancy. Funding historically came from philanthropic donors such as the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and bilateral donors represented by the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Programmatic collaborations have involved multilateral institutions including the World Bank and project funding under regional bodies like the East African Community.
Governance follows a board structure with trustees drawn from academia, protected-area management, and civil society, reflecting practices seen in organizations like the IUCN and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Secretariat operations are headquartered in Nairobi with field offices or representatives in regional hubs such as Arusha, Entebbe, and Moshi. The society convenes annual meetings, technical working groups, and special panels that have included experts linked to University of Nairobi, Sokoine University of Agriculture, and international research institutes.
The society has influenced policy, contributed to species recovery plans, and supported community conservancies that improved livelihoods in areas adjacent to Tsavo National Park and the Loldia Conservancy. Criticisms have arisen around balancing species-centric interventions with pastoralist land rights debates involving communities from Maasai and Karamojong pastoral systems, tensions similar to controversies in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Additional critique has focused on funding dependencies noted in analyses by scholars at Oxford University and Stanford University, and on the challenges of measuring long-term ecological outcomes framed in academic forums such as the Society for Conservation Biology.
Category:Conservation organizations Category:Wildlife conservation in Africa