Human-carnivore conflict is fast becoming a critical threat to the survival of many globally endangered species because those most exposed to this conflict are prone to extinction. An in-depth analysis of livestock depredation is therefore essential to understand the challenge and promote conservation and coexistence in landscapes where it occurs. This thesis provides insight into human-carnivore conflict based on investigations carried out in the Maasai steppe of Northern Tanzania. For this study, I chose to incorporate my research at the finest-scale possible, referring specifically to incidences of livestock depredation occurring in the livestock enclosure (a boma) within the Maasai homestead. In Chapter 1, I modeled the impacts of multiple variables suggested to affect livestock depredation at bomas across the Maasai Steppe. My results highlight six significant correlates that influence livestock depredation at the boma scale. I discuss the implications of these variables on conflict mitigation and the prevention of livestock kills. In Chapter 2, I evaluate the local communities understanding of the causes and effects of livestock depredation and assess local perceptions of frequencies of negative encounters with large carnivores at the boma. I recommend that future conflict research should incorporate both empirical and perceptual data to generate the detailed information key to the development of effective strategies for resolving the challenge and conserving ecosystems and their inhabitants.
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