Living Walls
Programs
The death of a cow, goat, or sheep represents a serious loss for rural people, who may kill wild predators in retaliation. We designed Living Walls as a win-win solution for people and nature.
Due to habitat loss and a decrease in their natural prey, large carnivores live closer to humans than ever before. As a result, they often turn to the livestock of local herders for an easy meal.
To reduce this type of human-wildlife conflict, African People & Wildlife (APW) partners with communities to build Living Walls – environmentally-friendly corrals that keep livestock safe.
What are Living Walls?
Designed hand-in-hand with local people, Living Walls are in high demand across northern Tanzania. Local involvement is strong, with individual owners contributing 25 percent of the cost. APW’s Warriors for Wildlife team monitors Living Wall conditions to ensure that the structures remain effective over time.
Positive Impacts
A recent study shows that people who own Living Walls are more likely to be positive and optimistic about coexisting with large carnivores. To date, more than 2,000 Living Walls positively impact 23,600+ people and keep more than 309,000 livestock safe every night. Living Walls have led to the planting of more than 344,000 living Commiphora or similar trees.
Benefits of Living Walls
- Protect livestock from attack
- Prevent the retaliatory killing of wildlife
- Uplift livelihoods
- Improve local attitudes toward large carnivores
- Contribute to habitat preservation
- Demonstrate the value of shared knowledge
- Exhibit culturally appropriate solutions
Learn how a Living Wall has improved the life of a Maasai herder and his family.
Building a Living Wall
Step One
Community members harvest limbs of living Commiphora trees.
Step Two
With help from African People & Wildlife, community members plant the trees in a circle and dig a furrow around the perimeter.
Step Three
Together, we ground the chain-link fencing in the furrow and wrap it around the trees.
Step Four
Finally, we secure the chain-link fencing to the trees. The trees continue to grow and add height to the wall.
Explore Living Wall Data
Open our Living Walls ArcGIS Dashboard to discover the latest updates and impact of the program in Tanzania.
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Our Living Walls are 99.9 percent successful in preventing attacks on livestock, which results in fewer retaliatory lion killings. No lions have been killed at homesteads where Living Walls are installed.
Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, African People & Wildlife
Related
Northern Tanzania Big Cats Conservation Initiative
APW helps to preserve some of Tanzania’s most threatened big cat populations.
Warriors for Wildlife
APW’s Warriors for Wildlife team provides rapid response to human-wildlife conflict events across communities in northern Tanzania.
