n a recent number of SWARA, concerns have of savanna or semiarid ecosystems, despite the Conditions in and been raised regarding the threats affecting strong evidence of population declines for many around Sibiloi ISibiloi National Park in northern . species. are challenging These concerns are well-founded, going beyond In this context, Sibiloi National Park has for wildlife and projections for and its associated worryingly reached the boundary of defaunation, livestock. fauna. with the majority of large-bodied mammals and Overgrazing and defaunation expand over birds having vanished in the last 30 years. the terrestrial extent of the park and outside its While looking through the small window of borders. Notwithstanding, political and research a Cessna when overflying the area, the feeling agendas bring new winds of hope to the area. of emptiness and degradation is devastating. Defaunation, or the disappearance of large Instead of seeing herds of mammals grazing, fauna in a region, is a well-known problem of one sees nothing but barren land and groups many tropical forest reserves and it is often of livestock struggling to find grasslands -- a attributed to over-hunting. This concerning powerful materialization of what is known as phenomenon is rarely discussed in the context the ‘Empty Park Syndrome’. The magnitude of

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016 SWARA 33 the tragedy is heartbreaking, but surprisingly, A lonely topi Despite the current state, locals, young and the continued process of biodiversity loss is little (Damaliscus old, officers, researchers and decision makers known. Why are most animals gone? Which ones, lunatus) share a strong will to reverse the situation. But and when? Where to? And, is it reversible? in Allia Bay, in the first and foremost, before attempting to rescue In a recent expedition in the area, we found southern section Sibiloi, we need a better understanding of what only a handful of oryxes, a dozen zebras, a few of Sibiloi National was there, and why was it lost, as well as a proper topis and two gerenuks, all restricted to the Park. monitoring system to be developed through a southern part of the park. Large birds such as joint collective effort. ostrich were missing, though a few bustard The remoteness of the area, together with the species were observed (Crested, Heugling’s). harsh weather conditions, has precluded the Vultures, expected to be abundant, were frequentation of ecologists, and a lot is still to surprisingly rare. be discovered. The good news is that there is Despite the outstanding paleontological renewed interest in the region and an emerging research in the area, ecological studies have been number of projects and partnerships willing scant and we lack scientific account for the recent to listen to the often unheard voices of the faunal loss. Yet, paleontologists who worked in Daasanach and Gabra pastoralists, taking into the area during the 1960’s photographed a rich account their local knowledge to uncover the mammalian fauna, gone today mysteries of Sibiloi’s present and near past. The locals, in particular pastoralists belonging The interaction between pastoralists and to the Daasanach and Gabra ethnic groups, nature has resulted in rich and detailed recall with nostalgia a time of greener pastures knowledge allowing them to adapt to changing and great diversity of wildlife. If Peter Seeger environments. Such knowledge is widely wondered where had all the flowers gone in the referred to as Traditional Ecological Knowledge 1950s, in the 21st century, the local Daasanach (TEK). TEK is increasingly recognized as are more concerned about the whereabouts of the a tool to access information on ecological missing fauna. changes, complementing conventional scientific A local resident said: “Before there were rhinos, monitoring. While day to day, year-round zebras, , giraffes, leopards and cheetahs. comprehensive observations are usually I saw them all when I was a kid, now there are unmanageable in scientific ecological studies none of these.” for logistical reasons, they are intrinsic to the “The older people say that long ago this area nomadic pastoralist way of life, and thus, of was fertile and green. Now there is no pasture or irreplaceable value. Such knowledge is reflected water available, that’s why the animals have left. in everyday conversations with some of the locals The animals have not died, they have gone far in the Sibiloi area, who rely on their place-based from here,” said another one. observations to plan their migratory routes and the herding of their livestock. In view of this, we anticipate that THE LOCALS, IN PARTICULAR PASTORALISTS this knowledge could hold some of the BELONGING TO THE DAASANACH AND GABRA keys to better understand past changes in Sibiloi’s ecosystems, as well as to ETHNIC GROUPS, RECALL WITH NOSTALGIA uptake future solutions to the current A TIME OF GREENER PASTURES AND GREAT defaunation crisis. Yet, if such aspirations are to be DIVERSITY OF WILDLIFE. reflected in practice, there is an urgent need to formulate strategic plans to document TEK before it vanishes. Due to the many cultural changes brought by globalization, TEK is suffering worldwide decline at alarming rates.

34 SWARA OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016 Conversation Nonetheless, interviews carried out during our language to store, revive and transmit accounts with one of the recent expedition to Sibiloi suggest that TEK is of ecological change in the area. “The elders local Daasanach still very much at the basis of the subsistence have memories about animals. We have not seen communities. practices of the Daasanach and the Gabra. rhinos, giraffes or buffaloes, but we have a name Intergenerational oral transmission of knowledge for them in our language. We know about these continues to be at the core of the local livelihoods. animals through the stories.” For example, some young people reflect on the There is great potential for appraising importance of the stories and accounts of the traditional knowledge. The views and expertise elders to maintain social memory of the ecological of traditional knowledge holders reflect a depth changes undergone. of embodied experience unlikely to be derived “We have never seen an elephant, a rhino, through formal scientific process, and provides a buffalo or a giraffe, but we learned from our invaluable information to plan and improve parents about these animals,” says a young environmental monitoring schemes. pastoralist herding livestock on the edge of the Moreover, by exploring the nature of recent national park. “We are worried that they are not ecological changes through the eyes of the local here anymore.” communities, we could hope to better understand TEK has the potential to expand the knowledge the current state of the ecosystem. Not only does basis of a group at least to the lifespan of the TEK inform us about the wildlife that there is or oldest of its members, and potentially longer, as once was, but it also provides a more holistic view long as the knowledge held is transmitted from of the dynamics of the system, which are unlikely generation to generation. to be grasped through short-term conventional Another youngster in notes the ecological studies. importance of the Daasanach stories and In addition, to try to understand past ecological changes, the establishment of baselines remains paramount in order to monitor ANOTHER YOUNGSTER IN ILERET NOTES future developments and plan conservation THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DAASANACH management adaptively. We propose assessing such baseline by means of a joint collaborative STORIES AND LANGUAGE TO STORE, effort, combining modern ecological surveying REVIVE AND TRANSMIT ACCOUNTS OF technologies -- camera traps, passive detectors, GPS locators, weather stations -- with ECOLOGICAL CHANGE IN THE AREA. participatory science approaches engaging local people.

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016 SWARA 35 Kenyan scholars have been long-time pioneers of the field of participatory science, showing that such collaborative approaches can yield substantial outcomes with implications going beyond the scope of the monitoring itself. For instance, fieldwork activities can serve TOP LEFT: Awosio The scientific community has known for education and conservation outreach goals, Ajiko learning to decades that cultural and biological diversity helping to raise local awareness about the value do bird counts are facing numerous, urgent and inter-related of natural ecosystems. By participating actively in and enjoying his challenges. We have indeed observed that the scientific monitoring, community members can first experience bonds between the ecology and the pastoralist increase their scientific literacy and help build handling cultures of Sibiloi are loosening as a consequence social capital. Subsequently, local peoples can binoculars. of globalisation. have a greater voice in conservation decision- This biocultural loss is impinging negatively making, particularly with regard to the natural TOP RIGHT: The on people’s ability to adapt to environmental resources being monitored. As Baba Dioum’s future of Sibiloi changes, but also leading to further habitat much anthologized statement foresees: “We will lies in the hands of degradation and pressure upon increasingly conserve only what we love, we will love only young generations. scarce resources. Yet, -animal interactions what we understand, and we will understand only have long been at the core of Daasanach and what we are taught.” Gabra cultural identities. Our pilot experiences working with local As back as the oral records go, generations Daasanach in the region have been more positive of local pastoralists have grazed their cattle, than ever expected. We have learned a lot from sheep, goats and camels alongside the wildlife our local collaborators, recognizing dimensions of the African Rift Valley. Not surprisingly, of the ecosystem lying beyond our own scientific representations of animals are deeply rooted understanding of the area. And likewise, the in the history and culture of these groups, with locals were extremely enthusiastic about numerous legends, rituals, folktales and beliefs possibilities of learning new things, or new ways emphasizing the importance of wildlife for them. of observing the wildlife around them. We foresee Therefore, considering such cultural expressions an immense potential in such a collaborative are central to any efforts aimed at maintaining approach leading to the co-production of biocultural heritage in the face of the current knowledge, involving cross-cultural dialogue and trends of global homogenisation. mutual learning. Local participation is essential Several intergovernmental processes and for knowledge transfer and dialogue about policy instruments, including the World Heritage conservation management. Convention of UNESCO, have proposed to

36 SWARA OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016 develop integrated strategies to build bridges Undeniable beauty Biocultural approaches to conservation can between biological and cultural diversity agendas. of Sibiloi NP scenery serve the purpose in translating conservation Considering that Sibiloi National Park was persist on the priorities into locally-supported actions, while listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997, it memory of those addressing the erosion of both cultural and seems reasonable to put effort into upholding who visit it. biological diversity. Daasanach and Gabra cultures -- as manifested As a Daasanach pastoralist perceptively in their worldviews, languages and TEK -- in stated while herding his cattle through order to improve long-term conservation the desert and silent plains of Sibiloi “We strategies. would like wildlife to graze alongside our A biocultural approach to conservation would cattle. We like animals. We would like to contribute to bring more options to the table and see them again.” increase the chances of long-term effectiveness of Sibiloi National Park. In particular, conservation approaches that support traditional knowledge revitalization can result in improved resource governance and a better understanding of the dynamics of the ecosystem.

WHAT FUTURE FOR SIBILOI? Sibiloi National Park is increasingly confronted with a number of threats and pressures, including climate change and the creation of the largest dam complex in Africa in a nearby area. Yet, efforts from UNESCO to create a new Strategic THE AUTHORS Environmental Assessment, together with the GLOBAL CHANGE CONSERVATION (HELSINKI UNIVERSITY) boost of the visibility of the Park in the global FROM RIGHT TO LEFT: DANIEL BURGAS, RICARDO ROCHA, MAR CABEZA, ÁLVARO FERNÁNDEZ- LLAMAZARES, SARA FRAIXEDAS, AWOSIO AJIKO, ABDI AND ADRIÀ LÓPEZ-BAUCELLS media, have put Sibiloi National Park in the spotlight also internationally. This renewed attention opens hopeful avenues for the ‘Cradle of Humankind’, as it is often referred to. HOW TO GET TO SIBILOI The stakes could not be higher, but with continued political support, the application DISTANCE FROM : 800km north of an optimal integrated monitoring and the BY AIR: Two all weather air strips engagement of the local communities, Sibiloi BY ROAD: All-terrain vehicles required (3-day drive from Nairobi via National Park holds the opportunity of writing a and North Horr or Maralal) new chapter of conservation success in African ALTERNATIVE ROAD ROUTE: Nairobi to Kalokol via Kitale and history.

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