Balancing benefits and burdens: Tourist camps and lion conservation in the Maasai Mara

Abstract

Wildlife tourism is a key economic driver in many countries globally, including Kenya, where it significantly contributes to GDP and subsidizes conservation in public and private protected areas. However, the rapid expansion of tourism infrastructure and activities can impair wildlife conservation and ecosystem functioning. Using spatially explicit lion densities and tourism accommodations data in protected areas, we examined the spatiotemporal effects of tourist camps on lion populations in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Our analysis is based on annual three-month surveys conducted between 2014 and 2022, covering 2363 km2 at a high spatial resolution of 0.25 km2. We find the highest lion densities in areas without camps, while maximum lion density declined significantly with increasing camp density. These effects were independent of prey or vegetation. Moreover, newly established camps displaced lions, suggesting that current landscape and tourism planning does not maximize conservation outcomes in the Maasai Mara. Our results underscore the need for strategic planning of tourism activities to balance the benefits of wildlife tourism with the conservation of key species like lions. A more even distribution of tourism activity within and between protected areas may improve conservation outcomes while spreading the benefits of ecotourism more evenly across regions and communities.