Another example of why conservation efforts can be difficult...

I just came across a CNN.com article from last week about marauding elephants in Kenya. The article talked about how humans and wildlife are coming into closer contact as human populations grow and spread, and how the villagers in one region near Mount Kenya are constantly in conflict with elephants. The elephants destroy crops that are the only source of income for these villagers, and the villagers cannot fight back against the elephant because of laws against killing wildlife. This is so similar to some of the problems I saw or heard about in Samburu with carnivores. When people's livelihoods are threatened by wildlife, it is much harder for them to see any benefit in conservation. This is why programs like Earthwatch's Conservation Research Initiatives, which involve the local communities, are so important in the effort to help our environment.

Check out the elephant article at http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/09/25/elephant.attacks.reut/index.html.