UNDERSTANDING YOUNG PEOPLE’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION UNDERSTANDING YOUNG PEOPLE’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION ABOUT THIS REPORT This research sought to understand the diversity of young people’s perspectives towards wildlife and conservation, particularly the forces of support and opposition they experience. The aim is to provide a foundation for creative strategies to motivate Kenyan youth to conserve their natural resources. 4 Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The wildlife conservation industry is confusing There appear to be four segments of youth for Kenyan youth. The relationships between determined by their proximity to conservation zones and level of exposure to wildlife. Two of the segments are highly motivated to contribute to rewards for doing so are not obvious. This results in wildlife conservation – one may be interested in direct youth feeling detached and disengaged. engagement and the other one in advocacy and Young people have varied levels of awareness about wildlife and conservation. Depending on their levels of awareness, youth vary drastically in their attitudes Engaging young people requires a well-planned and beliefs about what constitutes conservation strategy, targeting each segment with individual, relevant messages and rewards in terms of emotional, constitutes poaching, etc. Youth who have exposure to wildlife as well as academic knowledge about interest and engagement. wildlife are more likely to be motivated to engage in Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation 5 TABLE OF CONTENTs Chapter I: Methodology 4 Chapter II: Youth knowledge and attitudes 10 Chapter III: Youth segmentation 21 Chapter IV: Positive deviant stories 31 Chapter V: Conclusions and recommendations 34 Appendix 38 6 CHAPTER 1 : METHODOLOGY Study Goals • To understand the current state of young Kenyan’s attitudes, beliefs, norms and behavior related to wildlife conservation and to identify the forces that can trigger or hinder positive social change • To explore opportunities to motivate Kenyan youth to care about and participate in the conservation of Kenya’s wildlife and habitats This study was commissioned by the ESCAPE Foundation (www.escapefoundation.org) Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation 7 Why Do The Study Now? SOCIAL & DEMOGRAPHIC 1. Growth and expansion of human population, growing dominance of the youth demographic 2. Changes in land use patterns and migration patterns -Urbanisation 3. Demographic changes such as the youth bulge 4. Socio-economic changes such as increasing income and education 5. New communication technology CONTEXT OF WILDLIFE & CONSERVATION Loss and fragmentation of habitats Biodiversity loss Rise in poaching Increasing numbers of wildlife conservation interest groups KENYAN YOUTH IN NUMBERS 75+ 65-74 55-64 45-54 e g A 35-44 25-34 15-24 7, 944, 646 0-14 16, 571, 877 5Million 10Million 15Million 20Million Population 8 Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation Study Objectives Study Objectives • Understand the meaning/image of “wildlife” Locations visited Selection criteria among Kenyan youth – what it incudes and Lewa Wildlife Location with deliberate conservation the reality Conservancy • Capture the knowledge, experiences, people/communities as well as non-indigenous people/outsiders attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of the target audience when it comes to wildlife and wildlife Kakamega Forest Location where conservation is driven largely by motivations, including by preservation cultural endearments among indigenous • Understand which elements may need to be populations and young people addressed and in which order Maasai Mara Location where the conservancy model • ‘Triangulate’ the issue by looking at young has been used to enhance human-wildlife people’s experiences at the level of their personal views, ‘peer-narrative,’ and social norms and the broader ‘social reality’ around the issue The Aberdare Location with endangered habitats and • Understand the pressures on our target audience Ranges encroachment by human activity from other actors in the community rather than, Tsavo, Sagala, Voi Location that is prone to human-wildlife local, national and global actors • Understand the agents/forces of support and opposition to social and behaviour change Nairobi human-wildlife encounters • Provide the basis for developing a creative strategy that informs, engages and motivates our target audience of Kenyan youth Study Design and Participants DESCRIPTION OF DISCUSSIONS SELECTION OF APPROACH: • Focus groups PARTICIPANTS: • Desk review* • Individual interviews • Shujaaz fans and other • Focus groups • School debate young people living inside, • Key informant interviews close to and far from the • Observations conservation areas • School debates • Employees working in protected areas such as KWS and KFS rangers FINAL COUNT: • Stakeholders in the 121 participants • 75 pages of notes • 40 drawings from participants conservation industry and behaviours related to wildlife and conservation 9 CHAPTER II YOUTH KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES 10 Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation KNOWLEDGE: WILDLIFE Outlier Wha animals, Who: t gr Maas ? All living cr Wh oup 1: A ins kno ai Mar g pr y: a Khan/Naiect r o wle High le ximity t s, a bir e dg atur e about ds, v el of e o pr and habis, t obi, including e and e es ot wildlif xpo K anc ect ak dar P sur nuis o e ame at oup 2:e, Aber d ar e sitiv e t s gr via s g routes e o a, Menac oi and achment as V o ory e de chool, t? amine. at Outlier f ala, e of viant Wha Sag migr aus ? c , Humans and enc r s* Who y? at Wh Most youth on habit believe: Wildlife is limited to ‘The Big 5’ & rare animals Negative deviants** Outlier Wha short Who t gr Wh ag ? *Positive deviants – people, who demonstrate The c oup 3: over e y ? attitudes, knowledge and/or behaviours that are ? Maas gr C aus uncommon for their group but nevertheless azing landons ai Mar e of erv gr solutions to the challenges common for their group. ancie a as sland s t attitudes/behaviour change interventions. aking ** Negative deviants -- people, who demonstrate attitudes, knowledge and/or behaviours that are uncommon for their group and negatively unsuccessful. Such people tend to struggle even more than their group majority with the common challenges. Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation 11 KNOWLEDGE: CONSERVATION Outlier group 1: What? associated with land ownership and Regaining co-existence the pride between humans and animals Who? Kakamega Why? Maasai Mara, A European affair, associated with forests and Culture and traditions Outlier group 2:Lewa wildlife What? The community sees entertainment for the rich Who: Why: the management and visitors of the conservancy Most youth as an exclusive club believe: Negative deviants* ‘Conservation’ is planting trees, protecting Positive deviants forests and rivers Advocacy for wildlife, Outlier group 3:Aga Khan/Nairobi What? School activities fundraising for parks Who? Why? including clubs and competitions for getting involved Youth’s definitions of “conservation” activities • Growing silk worms Charge droughts • Going camping and paying camping • Planting and watering trees • Reporting poachers and suspicious fees that are used to pay park • Weeding activities expenses • Collecting litter • Feeding wild birds • Participating in conservation • Fundraising and advocacy activities • Guided tours activities, e.g., a marathon or a Rhino • Taking water to animals during • Introducing visitors to wildlife 12 Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation KNOWLEDGE: WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION OVERLAP Wildlife Conservation PROTECTING FORESTS AND RIVERS – I.E. HABITATS – WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESULT IN BENEFITS TO WILDLIFE Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Wildlife and Conservation 13 ATTITUDES: POACHING According to young people, there are three groups of activities that constitute wildlife violations, which can be aligned as below in terms of how grave the violations are: Killing Killing Killing Killing Killing when Killing when for for for for animal animal ruins ivory money sport food attacks crop Not caring – Killing Picking Using the only Burning charcoal for firewood grazing land passive bragging and water violation POACHING HUNTING SELF-PRESERVATION • Always illegal • Might be legal with proper • It is difficult to say if it is • Never justifiable paperwork, certificates legal or illegal • Sometimes can be • Mostly justifiable from justified (motivated by a perspective that basic need or animal “human life is a priority” population control) There are several types of poachers: self-preservation and it is possible to justify it as such. • Rich foreigners or locals who hire park-area residents to IMPORTANT: Most understand that this is a very risky assist with any part of poaching (guiding, transportation, way of earning money, yet some still do it and suffer the killing, etc.). Such people abuse the despair of the locals consequences. for their gain. They are criminals and their activities cannot • Greedy park-area residents or even park workers/rangers be justified. who assist in any poaching activity, or facilitate it by • Poor park-area residents who agree to participate in “looking the other way.” Such people assist in poaching poaching activities (as guides, transporters or killers)