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In the Peruvian Amazon, regions previously marked by conflict between humans and jaguars are now the backdrop for groundbreaking workshops aimed at fostering human-jaguar coexistence.
Conservationists have designed ways to help wildlife safely get where they need to go.
There’s a type of interspecies cooperation that helps maintain an environment’s delicate balance.
With the help of local communities, conservationists are making progress in their efforts to reduce conflict between humans and wildlife such as savanna elephants.
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Coexistence is at the heart of nature’s story. Across ecosystems, wildlife often form remarkable partnerships to survive and thrive. From plants and animals working together in symbiotic relationships to various species sharing resources, these natural alliances remind us of the importance of living in harmony.
At San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, coexistence is also central to our mission. We believe that conservation starts with a shared understanding: people and wildlife can, and must, thrive together. This belief guides our collaborative efforts in places like Peru, where groundbreaking partnerships foster coexistence between humans and jaguars. Our expanding initiatives to protect elephants in Kenya are also deeply connected to their interactions with humans.
The work we do here at home goes hand in hand with our efforts abroad. Team members across numerous departments work tirelessly to inspire meaningful connections between wildlife and our guests. It’s our hope that the awe we spark today fuels a passion for
conservation tomorrow.
This issue of the SDZWA Journal shines a spotlight on coexistence, from nature’s most ingenious partnerships to the impactful work happening around the world. The following stories inspire us to understand and connect to the natural world on a deeper level.
Thank you for being part of this global alliance. Together, we are building bridges between wildlife, people, and ecosystems to create a world where all life thrives.
Together for Wildlife,
Officers
Steven S. Simpson, Chair
Rolf Benirschke, Vice Chair
Adam Day, Treasurer
Gary E. Knell, Secretary
Trustees
Tom Chapman
E. Jane Finley
Clifford W. Hague
Bryan B. Min
Kenji Price
Corinne Verdery ‘Aulani Wilhelm
Trustees Emeriti
Javade Chaudhri
Berit N. Durler
Thompson Fetter
Richard B. Gulley
Robert B. Horsman
Steven G. Tappan
John M. Thornton
Executive Team
Shawn Dixon
Interim President and Chief Executive Officer
David Franco
Chief Financial Officer
Erika Kohler
Senior Vice President and Executive Director, San Diego Zoo
Pat McTigue
Interim Executive Director, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Nadine Lamberski, DVM, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM)
Chief Conservation and Wildlife Health Officer
Wendy Bulger
General Counsel
Shawn Dixon Interim President and Chief Executive Officer
David Gillig
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Aida Rosa
Chief Human Resources Officer
David Miller
Chief Marketing Officer
Conservation begins with people. From dense African forests to frigid Canadian oceans, local communities across the globe are leading holistic, sustainable strategies to solve complex challenges. Here’s how some of our partners are protecting the ecosystems they call home—and the wildlife they share them with.
Since 2012, Gorilla Guardian Clubs have engaged local communities in protecting Cameroon’s Ebo forest, home to numerous endangered species.
Chui Mamas help over 600 women across northern Kenya earn livelihoods while preserving natural resources.
Representing eight First Nations groups, Ontario’s Mushkegowuk Council conducts evaluations of sea ice biodiversity critical to their region.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in northern Kenya reintroduced 13 orphaned and rehabilitated elephant calves to their savanna home in 2024.
Taricaya EcoReserve and Amazon Shelter rehabilitate and release wildlife confiscated from illegal trade, including 18 red howler monkeys and white-fronted capuchins in 2023.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance protects and restores nature in eight Conservation Hubs on six continents. Below are recent discoveries and progress reports from around the world.
Our team traveled to Vietnam to facilitate a training workshop for government partners from Pu Huong Nature Reserve and Vu Quang National Park. In the workshop, participants learned to use a software developed by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to manage photos and videos from trail cameras. The software uses artificial intelligence to predict the species captured in the images, which speeds up analyses and enables our partners to be more responsive to changes in vulnerable ecosystems. We intend to provide further trainings for our partners in Vietnam later this year. We also hope to expand these trainings to other Conservation Hubs so that our partners around the world can use these tools independently.
As part of our work in northern Kenya to reduce the potential impact of linear infrastructure (for example, roads, power lines, and fences) on giraffes, we worked with partners from Sera Conservancy to deploy deterrents along the fence surrounding the Sera rhino sanctuary. These colorful deterrents, or “flashers,” were deployed along sections of the fence that were identified as hotspots where giraffes have previously become entangled. Building off our work with the giraffes at the San Diego Zoo to determine if certain colors or shapes were better deterrents, we deployed yellow flashers along one section of fence and red flashers along another. We will continue to monitor the flashers in hopes of determining whether these deterrents are effective at reducing giraffe entanglements along the fence, and if a certain color is more effective. The results of this study will help inform future strategies to mitigate fence entanglement on a larger scale.
Knowledge exchange and data sharing are critically important in realizing the potential for biological materials to advance biodiversity conservation. Since 2009, our gamete cryopreservation team has been publishing the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Sperm Atlas, a database to display the diversity of sperm morphology in the animal kingdom. The
Sperm Atlas is celebrating the recent addition of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images from over 150 species (to see these, visit spermatlas.org and look for the drop-down titled “SEM Images” on species pages). The SEM produces images with high levels of detail at high magnification, resulting in fascinating, up-close images of the cells. Addition of the SEM images was made possible with funding and support from San Diego State University and the Beckman Laser Institute at University of California, Irvine. Our partners’ support also allowed us to upgrade the Sperm Atlas site into a data-driven resource freely available to all.
As the day winds down, your wild adventure is only just beginning! The Zoo is open until 8 p.m. and an exciting new energy takes over during Nighttime Zoo. Join us for live music, spectacular entertainment, one-of-a-kind moments with your favorite wildlife, and more unforgettable fun that’s perfect for the whole family.
Tomas Pickering, Ph.D., a social science researcher with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, explores sharing ecosystems in our Conservation Hubs.
PHOTO BY: SDZWA
Our organization recognizes that coexistence is as much about people as it is about wildlife.
Imagine the most dangerous or destructive large animal native to the area where you live. How far do these species live from you? What would it take for your community to coexist with predators? Context, of course, matters. For those in Southern California, this question might lead to thoughts of mountain lions and coyotes, or even grizzly bears, wolves, and jaguars—species that once roamed this landscape.
Today, in other parts of the world, people navigate life with elephants, tigers, and polar bears. These species, while awe-inspiring and essential to their ecosystems, pose real challenges for coexistence with the communities they live alongside or within. Conflicts and tragedies do occur, yet some societies have found ways to adapt and tolerate risk in the pursuit of coexistence.
At San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, we collaborate with communities and governments across the globe to find, integrate, and refine strategies (and refine again) for living alongside some of the planet’s most challenging wildlife.
In our eight Conservation Hubs, we focus on iconic species such as African savanna elephants, African leopards, Sumatran tigers, Arctic polar bears, mountain lions in California, and jaguars in Peru. Our pursuit expands across three key themes: reducing risks, increasing benefits, and evaluating coexistence. Each approach has its limitations or controversies which, through discussion and reflection, can drive new insights.
In Peru, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is helping government agencies plan national management strategies for jaguar conflict scenarios (planning for coexistence or Plan4Coex workshops) while simultaneously working closely with local families to reduce the risk of jaguar predation on livestock. By using trail cameras and conducting community workshops, we empower families to identify predator species like jaguars and implement effective measures to protect backyard poultry and other livestock. Similarly, in Kenya, we partner with communities to test predator-proof bomas—livestock enclosures
that have been enhanced with lights and wires. These methods have proven effective in reducing losses to carnivores while also strengthening community tolerance.
Mountain lions in California provide another example. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has supported research into sound-based deterrents and improved fencing to minimize depredation incidents while avoiding lethal control. These strategies help wildlife in these fragmented landscapes and human communities share space more safely.
Programs like Patroli Anak Nagari (PAGARI) in Sumatra integrate tiger patrols with education initiatives, creating job opportunities and fostering a sense of pride in conservation efforts. This approach builds economic resilience while promoting cultural ties to wildlife.
In Northern Kenya, we launched an innovative Conservation Performance Payments strategy in Ruko Community Conservancy to incentivize wildlife protection and communityled management by financially rewarding communities for successful conservation outcomes, including higher benefits for large carnivores detected on wildlife cameras.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is driving technological innovation and application; GPS collars and trail cameras help monitor animal behavior, population dynamics, and zones of likely conflict. For example, polar bear movements around Churchill, Manitoba, are tracked to assess the effectiveness of relocation strategies and inform long-term conflict management plans. We are preparing to launch a similar study of conflict-prone leopards and translocation effectiveness in northern Kenya. Our organization recognizes that coexistence is as much about people as it is about wildlife. Social science tools are used to evaluate human wellbeing, attitudes, and tolerance toward conflictprone species. By understanding community perceptions, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance strengthens conservation efforts to align with the values and goals of local communities.
To create a world where all life thrives, we must support those at the forefront of conservation and enable more communities to coexist with the conflict-prone species they choose to embrace.
BY PALOMA ALCÁZAR GARCÍA
In the lush expanse of the Peruvian Amazon, a new dawn of conservation and cooperation has emerged, centered around the majestic, yet often misunderstood, jaguar. Regions like Loreto and Madre de Dios, previously marked by conflict between humans and
backdrop for groundbreaking workshops aimed at fostering human-jaguar coexistence.
The Call of the Jaguar
It’s 2 a.m., and Don Robinson, president of the Association of Agricultural Producers of Lower Madre de Dios, awakens to the
large jaguar footprints in the mud, but the chickens are unharmed—safe—thanks to the newly implemented protective measures. This incident, a small victory in the grand scheme, reflects the compromise and evolving relationship between the local community and the surrounding wildlife.
During summer 2023, like other
causing harm to the big cats by contacting the regional Wildlife Authority of Madre de Dios and the Jaguar Project team from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
This scenario is lived daily in the Peruvian Amazon, a region where interactions between humans and wildlife are extremely frequent. The distance between the living spaces of people and jaguars can be extremely narrow—even more so, considering the adaptive capacity of this felid, which in Peru is found both in preserved forests and disturbed areas, including urban areas or communities like that of Don Robinson, located less than two miles from Puerto Maldonado, the capital of the Madre de Dios region.
Still Waters
(Below) Members of the Association of Agricultural Producers of the Bajo Madre de Dios Community – right bank, and the team from the Jaguar Program of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance navigate the river toward a future where people and jaguars not only share territory, but stand as a living alliance for Coexistence.
Negative interactions between people and jaguars generate socioeconomic damage in communities, which historically, by not having support or assistance for the management of these situations, end up eliminating the predators. In this sense, our project identified that the main motivations behind these actions are related to retaliation after the loss of domestic animals.
The small victories like the one observed by Don Robinson are not by accident, but the result of meticulous planning and collaboration. In response to the escalating humanjaguar conflicts, government officials, community members, conservationists, and academics came together to forge a new path forward. The first-ever Planning for Human-Jaguar Coexistence workshops in Loreto and Madre de Dios were instrumental in this shift. Here, diverse voices—once isolated by geography and perspective— shared their experiences, fears, and hopes.
Between July and November 2023, our team carried out two Human-Jaguar Coexistence Planning Workshops under the Planning for Coexistance approach—the first in Loreto, and the second in Madre de Dios. Being the first time that such meetings were held in the country, they promoted not only the conservation of this important species, but also the well-being of the people with whom they share the living ground.
The workshops took place over three days, and authorities, representatives of communities that experienced negative interactions,
native federations, farming associations, and cooperating institutions such as universities and non-governmental organizations met to generate a strategic plan.
In these workshops, participants collaboratively developed processes through a comprehensive situational assessment. They pinpointed the primary drivers of humanjaguar interactions, identified key areas requiring attention, and established clear objectives. Together they crafted strategic plans finely tuned to the actual conditions and the specific socioecological complexities of each region. The proposed strategies included a range of initiatives, from strengthening authorities for incident attention to protective
measures for domestic animals and launching targeted community education programs, all designed to align with the unique ecological and cultural landscape of each Amazon region. The workshops were more than a forum for dialogue; they were a crucible for change. Participants developed two strategic plans (one for each region) that laid the groundwork for future action. These plans were a testament to the power of collective insight, drawing on the unique contributions of each attendee to address the nuanced challenges of living alongside jaguars. Of course, one of the participants of the workshop in Madre de Dios was Don Robinson, who shared the situation of his community and how they were committed
Collaboration at
(Clockwise from center) Construction of
to seeking change in a harmonious way.
After the workshops, various meetings were held to share the findings of the workshop with other groups, including other communities. Empowered by a unified vision, the process of identifying communities interested in the implementation of pilot projects to test and refine solutions for mitigating jaguar conflicts began.
Given the historically negative interactions with jaguars, and the interest and commitment to seek harmonious alternatives for the mitigation of incidents with jaguars, the community of Don Robinson was the flag
bearer, and with whom the pilot projects in the field began. They started the process with a situational diagnosis of the interactions with jaguars, using tools from social sciences and natural sciences, from interviews to trail cameras. In a collaborative effort to understand the situation and propose alternatives for change, planning workshops, similar to those carried out for the region, were held, defining objectives and generating a community strategy with later actions and commitments to fulfill the changes.
Currently, we continue working with the community, where a plan for coexistence has been designed. The plan includes the implementation of protection measures for
domestic animals, training workshops on the management of backyard poultry and companion animals, and animal health campaigns to prevent the transmission of diseases to humans or to wildlife species such as the jaguar, with whom they share the space.
Today we can see the impact of the efforts made during the last years extends beyond the immediate benefits of conflict reduction. They represent a significant advancement in the way coexistence is approached in the Amazon—integrally and inclusively. The enduring partnerships formed through these workshops (regional and communal) have not
Education in Action
(Clockwise from top) Practice training session for the installation of electric fences. Veterinary team during the preventive medicine campaign for domestic animals in Bajo Madre de Dios. Author Dr. Paloma Alcázar, Dr. Karina Ríos, Municipality of San Isidro - Lima, and veterinary student Yordan Delgado, National Amazonian University of Madre de Dios. Members of the Association of Agricultural Producers of Bajo Madre de Diosright bank.
only protected local livelihoods and people, but have also ensured jaguars roam the forest more safely, symbolizing a balance between human needs and wildlife preservation.
As these initiatives evolve, they continue to inspire similar efforts around them. The story of Don Robinson and his protected chickens is an important one that highlights the profound impact of cooperation and commitment. Other communities have learned from them that situations can be managed and changed with effort and commitment.
Don Robinson notes that “when the jaguars are absent, the huanganas (white-lipped
peccaries) and sajinos (collared peccaries) ravage our crops, so we need to find a balance. When the jaguars are present, they keep the huanganas at bay.” He commented that the community is interested in creating an ecotourism corridor on their land, where they can show that agricultural activities and coexistence can occur, and where they are the ambassadors of the jaguar and the surrounding wildlife that lives with them.
The community is an example of how changes can occur, and it serves as a reminder that in the heart of the Amazon, human and jaguar destinies are intertwined, each
dependent on the other for survival and peace. We would like to express our gratitude to the Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios del Bajo Madre de Dios, margen derecha, for their initiative and commitment to advancing human-jaguar coexistence, and for the trust they have placed in us as partners in this important work.
Paloma Alcázar García is a wildlife veterinarian and coexistence specialist with the Jaguar Project at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance—Peru.
BY:
DID YOU KNOW?
Each jaguar’s spot pattern is unique— its own personal ID.
BY PEGGY SCOTT ILLUSTRATED BY AMY BLANDFORD
Furry or feathered, shelled or scaled, wildlife need a safe way to reach resources such as food, shelter, and water—as well as potential mates. Wildlife-conscious land use planning is a good start; then it’s a matter of careful construction. Wildlife corridors, also known as green or habitat corridors, link up areas of habitat that may be separated by roads and other subdivisions. Here are a few ways that conservationists are helping wildlife get where they need to go.
Underpass tunnels or wildlife tunnels are structural passes beneath or above roadways that help wildlife avoid dangerous interactions with cars and other vehicles. They connect habitats and protect biodiversity for species such as coyotes, deer, bobcats, and turtles.
Green bridges are large, landscaped bridges that allow wildlife such as deer, wild boar, wolves, foxes, badgers, and bears to cross a road or freeway while also offering habitat space.
Canopy bridges connect large trees on either side of the road to help wildlife such as squirrels and monkeys cross from one part of the forest to the other while avoiding the dangers of vehicles.
Habitat restoration along historical migration routes provides shelter and access to resources such as food.
Speed bumps in high crossing areas can slow traffic to allow wildlife safer passing conditions.
Amphibian tunnels are used by species like toads, frogs, salamanders, and newts. These passageways have open tops to allow in rain, which provides the moisture these animals need to thrive.
Stay fueled up by enjoying a delicious treat at one of our specialty snack stands on your next visit. The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park thank our partners for their continued support!
Associate Director of Conservation Science Community Engagement
As a conservation social scientist, Kirstie Ruppert studies the human side of conservation. She and her team work to understand how people and wildlife interact, which human behaviors influence the pressures that species face, and which conservation strategies would both reduce those threats and align with local communities’ goals and needs.
What is conservation social science, and why is it important to understand the human side of conservation?
People and nature are intertwined. For too long, conservation as a practice didn’t embrace this reality. The conservation social sciences emerged to crucially understand how people interact with the environment and which conservation efforts are most likely to drive positive changes. Using a scientific approach to the human dimensions of conservation means we can learn and share lessons from different places while shaping our conservation work to match local contexts and adapt as we go.
How does your team collaborate with local communities and partners to foster human-wildlife coexistence?
Our team integrates learning and different types of knowledge into the development of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Conservation Hubs. Some of our research is aimed at understanding a situation or place. Those assessments feed into the selection of conservation strategies, which are ideally selected through a collaborative process with local communities, government agencies, and other partners. When conservation activities are carried
out, we also embed evaluation into our work, so that together we can learn how well we are progressing toward our goals and which factors are critical to drive or sustain those outcomes.
What sort of skills or training do you find are most important for a career in your field?
I often find creativity and openmindedness are useful for a career in conservation science. When working toward goals with our team, partners, and communities, identifying and clarifying a shared vision is important. Choosing an option for how to move forward and then adapting those plans as a group presents frequent opportunities to listen and innovate.
What is a standout part of your job?
I get to work with some pretty special people. Conservation requires so many diverse skills and perspectives. That is made apparent to me every day at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, by colleagues across the organization. Though I am so grateful for my formal education, much of my deepest learning has been outside the traditional classroom and as a shared process with community members. These experiences have highlighted how knowledge exists in so many forms and holds immense value for our conservation work. Getting to learn from, and with, colleagues and communities is such a privilege.
Do you have a favorite park or green space in San Diego for appreciating our local nature?
The Santa Ysabel Valley is incredibly close to my heart. Much of my love for and connection to nature was formed by exploring the oak woodlands around my grandparents’ house there. Then and now, one of my favorite places to be is in the shade of an Engelmann oak. I highly encourage you to go find one in the Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserves!
In the case of tropical pitcher plants and woolly bats, the two parts of this relationship trade a place to stay for a full stomach. Using echolocation, the woolly bat traverses the forests of Borneo to find the tropical pitcher plant. The plant’s shape makes a perfect roost for the tiny (about one inch in height) flying mammal. The bat climbs in, and while it gets a safe place to nap, the plant benefits from its guano, which provides one-third of the plant’s nitrogen needs.
There is a delicate balance in nature. Known as symbiosis or mutualism, this organic give-andtake helps balance the environment in a continued collaboration between species and their ecosystems. This type of interspecies cooperation occurs more often than one might think, and it’s a win-win for all. In honor of International Friendship Day (August 3), here’s a look at instances where two heads (or beaks, or stems) are better than one.
BY PEGGY SCOTT
Meerkats and drongo birds enjoy a (mostly) symbiotic relationship. On the African plains, the drongo acts as a lookout for hunting meerkats, giving a warning cry when a predator comes near. When they hear that alert, the meerkats race back to the safety of their burrow. If, in their haste, they happen to drop the prey they just caught, the drongo swoops down to grab a free snack. Bad luck for the meerkats? Sometimes. Scientists have discovered the drongo is a talented mimic, able to replicate the vocalizations of other species. By raising false alarms, the drongo can often convince meerkats that danger is near and capitalize on any hastily dropped delicacies. They have even been reported as copying the meerkats’ own danger call.
When the tree-dwelling three-toed sloth in Costa Rica makes its weekly descent for a bathroom break, it carries with it the pyralid moths that live in its fur. The moths get their nutrition from the sloth’s skin. The moths increase the nitrogen content of the sloth’s fur, helping lipid-rich algae grow, which the sloth needs to supplement its limited diet. While the sloth is on the ground, female moths emerge from the sloth’s fur to deposit their eggs in the sloth’s feces. The moth larvae become moths that flutter back up into the tree overhead. There they find a sloth and burrow into its fur, starting the cycle again.
On the African savanna, four ant species have made themselves right at home within the thorn bulbs of the whistling thorn tree. The tiny tenants bore holes into the bulbs and settle in, enjoying shelter and the nectar the trees provide. When the wind blows, the spiky appendages become natural whistles, resulting in the sound that gives the tree its common name. But the ants aren’t just providing a soundtrack to the tree’s life; they defend the whistling thorn against tree-grazing mammals. When a branch is disturbed, ants swarm out of the holes—into the mouths and up the noses of the unlucky nibblers.
Found on every continent but Antarctica, bees fly from flower to flower gathering nectar and pollen, which become their food. But as they go about their business, they take a little of their work with them to the next stop. When they land on a blossom, the bees get some pollen on their hairy bodies; when they land in the next flower, some of the pollen from the first one rubs off, pollinating the plant. In this mutualistic relationship, the bees get fed, and the flowering plants get to make more plants. The next time you’re outside, take a look around and see if you can spot—or hear—a bee and a flower connecting. That’s symbiosis in action.
Nile crocodiles in Egypt get a helping hand (or beak) with their dental hygiene from Egyptian plovers. After consuming prey, the crocodiles make their way onto a riverbank, get settled, and then wait, mouth open, for the plover to fly over and pick bits of food stuck between their teeth. The plover gets fed, and the crocodile gets rid of leftover meat that, if left in place, could rot and cause infection.
The African oxpecker, a small, eight-inch-long bird in sub-Saharan Africa, lives only where it can find specific species of ticks to eat. Oxpeckers pick the ticks off the hides of mammals such as giraffes, rhinos, elephants, zebras, and Cape buffalo, thus relieving the “host” of the tiny parasites—and enjoying a meal. Both red- and yellow-billed oxpeckers have the feet for the job; their claws are strong and sharp, allowing them to cling to the mammals’ tough skin.
In some parts of North America, coyotes and badgers could be considered fair-weather friends—their cooperative hunting efforts seem to occur mostly when it’s warm (badgers can stay snug in their burrows during winter and find food underground). Should a prey animal, such as a prairie dog, take off running, the speedy coyote can easily chase it down. If dinner-on-the-go takes a dive into a burrow, the badger can dig after it. Their hunting success rate is higher when they work as a team. Coyotes are also believed to have a loose symbiosis with ravens. Ravens can pick at a coyote’s leftovers (a carcass), and their bird’s-eye view allows them to spot approaching danger. One “caw” from them and the coyotes know to make tracks out of the area.
While some wildlife may find safety in numbers, ostriches and zebras find it in their senses. The two species share a habitat on the African savanna, and they use their respective strengths to survive. Ostriches have long necks and good eyesight that help them keep watch for any trouble. And while a zebra may not see quite as keenly as its avian associate, its rotating ears can certainly hear approaching predators. Its superior sniffing ability can pick up a whiff of impending danger as well.
Certain species of frogs and tarantulas benefit from hanging out together in places such as the Amazon rainforest, Sri Lanka, and Mexico. For example, in the tropical and subtropical forests, marshes, and swamps of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, the dotted humming frog relies on the tarantula for protection from predators, food (it eats the spider’s leftovers), and shelter in the tarantula’s burrow. In return, the frog’s foraging protects the tarantula’s eggs from ants.
BY SHIFRA GOLDENBERG, PH.D., AND KIRSTIE RUPPERT, PH.D.
When savanna elephants were recently uplisted from vulnerable to endangered, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s
Red List of Threatened Species cited the rise of human-elephant conflict as a major threat to populations across range countries, tied closely with habitat fragmentation that brings human and wildlife populations into more frequent contact. One area experiencing this upward trend in human-elephant conflict is northern Kenya, where San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been supporting and coleading conservation efforts for several years. Much of our past work in the region has spanned Loisaba Conservancy and the adjacent community areas, including Naibunga Lower Community Conservancy in Laikipia County, where we have been assessing population and distribution patterns of wildlife species and working with people toward human-wildlife coexistence on community lands. As our relationships with these communities and conservancies have strengthened, discussions of opportunities to expand our collaborations have focused on encounters with elephants and the threats to human livelihoods and safety—and by extension, elephant safety—such encounters pose. It became clear that addressing the biggest threats to elephants in the region would mean addressing human-elephant coexistence.
So what is meant by coexistence? More and more in recent years, conservationists have recognized the importance of reducing human-wildlife conflicts. These often arise when animals pose direct or perceived threats to human safety or property—sometimes leading to killing of wildlife—and are frequently linked to broader conflicts among people around how nature should be valued or managed. As the concept of coexistence has developed, it
has become clearer that to coexist does not mean to live in the absence of conflict.
People and wildlife interact in complex and dynamic systems, so as inevitable conflicts fluctuate, one way to consider coexistence is not as an end goal, but rather a practice. This certainly means that human-wildlife coexistence is shaped by contextual factors, the people involved, and a commitment to adapt conservation strategies over time.
In pursuing coexistence within Naibunga, understanding the conditions that shape human-elephant interactions has been critical to integrating the lived experiences of community
Addressing humanelephant conflict always requires tailoring to local contexts, priorities, and resources.
Participants in a human-elephant conflict mitigation workshop examine a beehive fence designed to deter elephants from crops.
members with a process to choose, test, and evaluate any interventions.
Naibunga and Loisaba Conservancy are a part of the larger Laikipia/Samburu savanna ecosystem, which experiences biannual wet and dry cycles. The dry cycles can be extreme in severity and therefore cannot support large-scale agriculture in most parts of the ecosystem, but they can support pastoralism—societies dependent on livestock herding. Laikipia/Samburu hosts the second largest elephant population in Kenya and its largest population to range primarily outside of governmentally protected areas. Because of the extremes in seasonality, widespread movement of wildlife, livestock, and herders to track seasonally variable resources characterizes the region. As such, the conservancies that connect the landscape are essential for elephants and other wildlife dependent on frequent movement, and Naibunga is home to a well-worn corridor that contributes to ecosystem connectivity for the region’s wildlife.
In pastoralist landscapes, encounters with elephants can occur at fixed points similar to those in agricultural landscapes (for example, kitchen gardens, water points, and acacia trees), but they may also occur at less spatially or temporally predictable locations (for example, while herding livestock, gathering firewood, or walking to/from community sites like clinics and schools). Addressing human-elephant conflict always requires tailoring to local contexts, priorities, and resources. Opportunities to learn from successful interventions elsewhere are constrained by a smaller evidence
base available for cases within pastoralist communities compared with what’s available for agricultural settings.
The people of Naibunga Lower Community Conservancy have lived with elephants for a long time and have developed their own strategies for mitigating and avoiding conflict. Our role in getting involved has been to help tailor and scale efforts to address human-elephant conflict, to connect community members with resources and networks that might benefit their interventions, and to contribute to an evidence base for humanelephant coexistence in pastoralist landscapes.
As such, we began by conducting participatory mapping exercises, focus group discussions, and interviews with individual community members to develop a shared understanding of the range, distribution, and intensity of conflicts experienced in the area; individual and community priorities for addressing conflicts; and the types of solutions already deployed. These efforts are guiding our next steps.
Because coexistence depends on the ability of those living with wildlife to adapt in a dynamic space, we have focused efforts over the last year and a half on connecting Naibunga community members and Loisaba conservation staff with knowledge and training within the wider elephant conservation world. One recurring program we have invested in has been Trainer of Trainers workshops held by our partner Save the Elephants, which familiarize participants with Save the Elephants’ Human-Elephant Coexistence
Toolbox and walk them through their mitigation demonstration sites in southern Kenya. The Toolbox compiles a range of
Pastoralist herders in community conservancies use and collectively manage grazing resources for their livestock.
mitigation strategies for different contexts where humans and elephants may encounter one another, with articulation of associated cost, labor, and troubleshooting trade-offs. Additionally, the Toolbox places emphasis on safe behavior around elephants and reading elephant behavior to assess levels of risk. Three cohorts from Naibunga/ Loisaba have now attended the Save the Elephants training and will now serve as resources for their home communities. Loisaba conservation staff are adapting elephant safety and behavior curricula for different community audiences as a result of their training, and plan to conduct a series of meetings to share these lessons.
We have also focused on other growth opportunities for community members over the last couple of years to strengthen their adaptability to human-elephant coexistence. These include tours of local human-elephant conflict interventions near Buffalo Springs National Reserve with Save the Elephants, women’s conservation forums to connect the network of women’s conservation groups across
the region so they can learn from one another and leverage collective strength, and an exposure tour for members of a local community-based organization, the Chui Mamas, to exchange with established women-led sustainable enterprises in southern Kenya.
Our next steps will continue to strengthen multiple levels for resilience in the communities living with elephants: knowledge and behavior, household-level deterrents outlined within the Toolbox, and collective strategies (such as school walking route planning for children’s safety) as prioritized by participants and those they represent. We aim for these pathways to contribute to coexistence by building capacity and a trusted process to reflect on and adapt these efforts, increasing opportunities for people and elephants to live securely in these spaces.
Shifra Goldenberg, Ph.D., is a scientist with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Kirstie Ruppert, Ph.D., is associate director of conservation science, community engagement.
THROUGH AUGUST 10
As the day winds down, your wild adventure is only just beginning! The Zoo is open until 8 p.m. and an exciting new energy takes over during Nighttime Zoo. Join us at the Zoo for live music, spectacular entertainment, one-of-a-kind moments with your favorite wildlife, and more unforgettable fun that’s perfect for the whole family. (Z)
JULY 18 AND AUGUST 15
Plant Day
On these special days, guests can take a rare look inside the Zoo’s Orchid House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., learn about the Zoo’s botanical collection on the Botanical Bus Tour at 11 a.m. and noon, and check out the Carnivorous Plant Greenhouse from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A variety of plants grown by Horticulture staff will be available at the Plant Sale, happening in front of the Orchid Greenhouse entrance from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Z)
THROUGH AUGUST 10
JULY 27 & AUGUST 10
Member Exclusive Early Hours
Rise and shine with the sights and sounds of the San Diego Zoo. On select days, qualifying members* can enter the Zoo one hour before the general public. To join us, simply present your qualifying membership card at the main entrance beginning at 8 a.m. *Excludes memberships with blockout dates. (Z)
EVERY DAY
Wild PerksSM
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance members are eligible for Wild PerksSM. Show your membership card each time you make a purchase and save up to 20%, depending on your membership level. Some exclusions apply; for details, visit sdzwa.org /membership/wild-perks. (Z)
JULY 19 AND 29
Explore the wonders of wildlife as you connect with your favorite species from across the globe and discover fascinating new ones at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Engage with the experts that care for wildlife each and every day and keep an eye out for wildlife talks, activity booths, and other fun activities at select locations on grounds. Every time you visit, you make a difference for vulnerable and endangered wildlife worldwide through our eight Conservation Hubs. See the current list of Wildlife Awareness Days below. (P)
JULY 19
Let’s get right to the point: echidnas are amazing, quill-covered monotremes and World Echidna Day is the perfect chance to learn all about them! (P)
JULY 29
Any big cat fan worth their stripes will pounce on the opportunity to come honor International Tiger Day. (P)
AUGUST 9–10
Wild Weekend: Savanna
Join us at the Safari Park to celebrate World Elephant Day and discover the wildlife of our Savanna Conservation Hub with special activities, wildlife care specialist talks, and more. (P)
OFFERED DAILY
Journey into the Wild
Join our wildlife care specialist team as they introduce you to wildlife ambassadors representing San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s conservation work in our Amazonia and Savanna Conservation Hubs and right here in our own backyard in the Southwest. This compelling conservation presentation takes place daily in Benbough Amphitheater. (P)
OFFERED DAILY
Wildlife Safari
Travel into expansive savanna habitats in the back of an open-air safari truck with an expert guide. Book online at sdzsafaripark.org/safaris or call (619) 718-3000 (P)
JUNE 14–AUGUST 31
Early Opening
All Safari Park guests will enjoy a special 8 a.m. open time. Join us for early tram departures. Or enjoy a morning mimosa during our Wildlife Safari: Sips on the Savanna for an additional fee. (P)
EVERY DAY
Wild PerksSM
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance members are eligible for Wild PerksSM. Show your membership card each time you make a purchase and save up to 20%, depending on your membership level. Some exclusions apply; for details, visit sdzwa.org /membership/wild-perks. (P)
July and August Hours
For San Diego Zoo and Safari Park operating hours, visit sdzwa.org
sdzwa.org
(619) 231-1515
*Programs and dates are subject to change—please check our website for the latest information.
(Z) = San Diego Zoo (P) = Safari Park
the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers website to find out about these and other animals, plus videos, crafts, stories, games, and more! SDZWildlifeExplorers.org
For many types of wildlife, blending in and hiding in plain sight are key to avoiding being seen by predators. For koalas, their coat of brown and gray fur acts like camouflage to make it harder for dingos, pythons, birds of prey, and other Aussie dangers to find them. In the scene below, 10 koalas are hiding. Using your sharp eyes, can you find them? Ready, set, seek!
“Slow” cute! The San Diego Zoo welcomed a newborn Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth pup on February 8, 2025. The male pup, whose name is Cashew, was born to Xena, a 12-year-old sloth who has had two other pups, Tornero and Colheita. This new pup is the first at the Zoo since Colheita was born in June 2022.
Photographed by Ken Bohn, SDZWA photographer.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
PO Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112
