INTERVENTION SUMMARY

Lion killing, historically conducted as a rite of passage, had evolved into a more widespread practice carried out by the Sukuma people in the Katavi-Rukwa ecosystem in western Tanzania. Lions were either killed for retaliation by pastoralist communities who lost livestock, or by lion hunters who killed lions for profit and prestige. To address this challenge, a community-based initiative, branded as the WASIMA campaign (“Watu, Simba, na Mazingira”, meaning “People, Lions, and Environment”), was designed and implemented between 2014 and 2017, which focused on reducing lion killings by engaging directly with Sakuma norms and cultural values. WASIMA was a locally-driven campaign that aimed at shifting the social meaning of lion killing by changing the attitudes and practices surrounding it. The intervention was effective in decreasing the reported number of lions killed: in the target area, lion killings declined from 12 per year to near zero, and it was assessed that the intervention likely saved dozens of lions. Former lion killers were not only reformed, but they were also actively recruited into the campaign, and were given roles as community educators and advocates for peaceful coexistence. Several participating villages formally adopted bylaws that prohibited lion hunting and widely embraced the campaign message. Lastly, payments to lion killers before the campaign, that included such material rewards as cash and cattle, disappeared altogether, and public celebration of lion killing was replaced by social disapproval.

INTERVENTION DETAILS

What was the problem?

Killing of lions either for retaliation by pastoralist communities who lost livestock, or by lion hunters who hold cultural practices of lion killing for profit and prestige in Tanzania in and around protected areas of Katavi National Park and Rukwa Game Reserve.

What was the Intervention and How was it Implemented?

Community-Driven Campaign: The WASIMA campaign (“Watu, Simba, na Mazingira” [People, Lions, and Environment]), a community-based initiative, was a locally-driven effort aimed at stopping lion killing by introducing a legal reform through the adoption of traditional bylaws banning ritual lion killings; by actively engaging in behavioral and cultural outreach that focused on shifting perceptions and practices, especially among Sukuma youth, from lion killing to lion conservation; and by gaining institutional support through various partnerships that helped embed the campaign into local governance and youth livelihood programs. The campaign expanded to over 22 villages. (Remove Excuses - set rules, alert conscience, assist compliance; Reduce Provocations - discourage imitation).

Was the Intervention Effective, Ineffective, or Promising?

The intervention was effective in decreasing the reported number of non-retaliatory lion killings, reducing the hiring and payment of lion hunters, as well as reducing the overall acceptance of lion hunting practices. Household surveys conducted in 2010 and then in 2016/2017 found significant changes in the time the intervention was in effect. Specifically, lion dancer prevalence decreased, the rewards to lion dancers decreased both in regularity and in worth, and approval of lion killing, especially among household heads, dropped. Finally, the recorded number of lion killings in Katavi National Park, where communities became involved, fell from 42-55 between 2005 and 2010 to 13-17 between 2011 and 2016, a decline of 59-69%.

How do We Know?

The intervention was effective because it focused on changing both the social and economic reasons for lion hunting. The campaign was anchored in Sukuma cultural values that emphasized wisdom and community protection and appealed to internal norms rather than relying on external enforcement and financial incentives. The use of former lion killers as public advocates reinforced the transformative messaging that respect and status could be earned through conservation-oriented work. Its participatory design and community-oriented approach ensured local ownership and acceptance. Lastly, the adoption of local bylaws formalized the campaign's message about the importance of conservation and the preservation of the species.

Were Conservation Outcomes Measured?

Not measured.

ASSESSMENT

The WASIMA campaign led to a substantial decline in lion killings, a decrease in the approval of lion killings, and a supposed decrease in the number of retaliatory killings.

The intervention targeted the communities that were most affected by lion hunting and illegal killing. Reduce the Rewards - The implementation of institutional bylaws, overseen by multiple respectable groups in the communities and the government, worked to change the social norms of the communities and decrease approval and payment for lion dancer's actions and hunting. Reduce Provocations - The bylaws that were embedded in local governance and youth livelihood programs worked to encourage positive social attitudes and practices surrounding lion killing.

The predominant moderators were social and cultural. The campaign was effective because its messaging aligned with pre-existing Sukuma values of wisdom, peacekeeping, and community protection. In communities where elders had moral authority, the campaign gained broader acceptance and traction. The delivery of the message of the campaign through trusted community members that included former lion killers and elders, showed stronger shifts in norms and community update of the goals of the campaign. There were also some challenges associated with the implementation of the intervention. Communities that had experienced multiple lion killings were more resistant at first. In some villages, youth groups that were more autonomous were harder to influence with elder messaging. Lastly, villages where bylaws were poorly enforced saw reduced impacts of the campaign.

The campaign was implemented over four years (2014-2018) and involved deep engagement with Sukuma communities. It required local/governmental approvals of the proposed bylaws and the adoption of the campaign messaging by local institutions through village-wide meetings, storytelling events, songs, plays, and informal discussions with the members of the community. Key success factors included the implementation of bylaws prohibiting lion killing, which were not only initiated and approved by village governments, but also provided legal authority for local enforcement. The implementation of the campaign was not without challenges. Considering the campaign targeted Sukuma youth who were the primary lion killers, influencing youth behavior in villages where they operated autonomously from elders was more difficult. Additionally, in some villages, elders lacked the moral authority or the necessary relationships to influence the youth to abandon lion hunting, especially when hunting was linked to material reward and prestige. Moreover, the highly decentralized nature of Sukuma society led to varied levels of success across villages: in communities that were more cohesive and responsive to elder leadership the effectiveness of messaging was stronger than in those with fragmented authority structures. Despite the moral messaging, the material rewards for killing lions remained a strong motivator, especially in communities where the rewards were cash or cattle.

The study did not discuss the costs associated with the implementation of the WASIMA campaign. A lot of the activities relied heavily on local leadership, volunteer labor, and culturally-embedded communication, such as storytelling activities and informal discussions with community members.

SCP COLUMNS

Discourage imitation
Alert conscience Assist compliance Set rules

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Citation

Borgerhoff Mulder et al. (2019)

Year Range

2011-2016

Country

Tanzania

Landscape

Grassland,Rainforest,Forest

Target Species

Lion

Problem type

Hunting

Source: Borgerhoff Mulder, M., Kwiyega, J. L., Beccaria, S., Bwasama, S. S., Fitzherbert, E., Genda, P., & Caro, T. (2019). Lions, bylaws, and conservation metrics. Bioscience, 69(12), 1008-1018. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz114.