ALOCA is an umbrella trust helping secure habitat connectivity in the largely arid and semi-arid Amboseli ecosystem: a world heritage site with high potential for community-led biodiversity conservation and tourism initiatives.
The migratory corridors used by Elephants, Wilde beasts, Elands, Zebras, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Lion and Hyenas are:
- Amboseli National Park-Nalarami-Elerai
- Amboseli National Park- Kilotome-Nailepu-Osupuko-Kimana Sanctuary-Chyulu Hills National Park
- Elerai –Kilimanjaro belt
- Elerai – Ololarashi Group ranch
Crowned by Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Amboseli ecosystem has over 2,000 elephants among other wildlife, making it one of the best places in Africa to view large herds of elephants up close.
The elephants are a major driving force in the ecology of the ecosystem and are closely associated with habitat changes in the Amboseli National Park.
They have also been the subject of one of the longest elephant studies in Africa. As a result of the long and close interaction with researchers, the elephants are approachable, giving visitors and wildlife researchers excellent opportunities for watching them at close range.
Large carnivores in the area include lions, leopards, cheetahs, the spotted and the striped hyena.
Despite the importance of these species as key tourist attractions, their number has been declining because of degradation of their habitat and retaliatory killing as a result of livestock predation.
It is worth noting that these species are important in controlling populations of the large ungulate species in the Amboseli Ecosystem, hence their conservation is paramount.
The ALOCA conservancies host many large ungulates, including Masai Giraffe, Buffalo, Warthog, Waterbuck, Grants gazelle, Bushbuck, Eland, Kudu, Maasai Ostrich, Impala and Burchell’s zebra. These species draw many visitors to the Amboseli Ecosystem.
The southern part of the Conservancies (Elerai) is distinctively characterized by two prominent hills: Endonyo Entawua (marking northeast boundary with Kimana Group Ranch) and Enoolarami (located somewhat centrally but towards the eastern boundary of the Elerai).
These two hills provide excellent panoramic views of the landscape and potential picnic sites for guests to the Elerai Satao Eco-lodge.
Additionally, there are rocky hills to the south of Kilitome onwards to Nailepu.
The hills run from the southwest tip of Kilitome near Tsavo-Amboseli road and generally from the southern boundary of the reserve.
On these rocky areas and hills are unique assemblages of plant species and associated fauna communities. The hills are a significant tourist attraction.
The name “Amboseli” comes from a Maasai word meaning “salty dust”.
The landscape providers nature lovers with different habitats to explore, ranging from wetlands, savannah and woodlands.
The vegetation cover in the ALOCA conservancies can be classified into seven fine scale vegetation types:
- Sueida-Azima seasonally flooded plains vegetation
- Open grasslands/bare soil
- Acacia tortilis dominated woodland
- Acacia xanthophloea dominated woodland
- Acacia mellifera dominated bushland
- Balanites dominated open woodland
- Hilltop vegetation
Nailepu has a permanent water source at Engumi springs that is utilized by wildlife and livestock, and has been tapped for use in nearby settlements such as Namelok.
Except for Isinet and Namelok springs, Osupuko does not have adequate water supply throughout the year. There are, however, several seasonally flowing and ephemeral watercourses that fragment the landscape.
In the Elerai area, land is drained by two seasonal rivers (Olalarashi and Loonkamuriak) and two seasonal streams, Nooltimaro and Lolarashi – all originating from Mt. Kilimanjaro and generally flowing in a north western direction and draining into a series of swamps in Amboseli National Park, Namelok and Kimana Swamps.
Due to the seasonal nature of these rivers and streams, water is generally a very scarce commodity and both people and livestock depend for the most part on drilled boreholes, shallow wells or permanent spring sources, such as Engumi and Lemongo springs.
During the dry season, when water demand is very high, pastoralists move their cattle to far off water sources, such as Namelok, Kimana, Lemongo and Amboseli.
There is a great interdependence of the water resources among the conservancies, group ranches and the Amboseli National Park.
Pastoralism is the mainstay of the local Maaai community in all the seven ALOCA conservancies. Livestock is kept for both subsistence and commercial purposes.
The ability of livestock to move in search of water and pasture is critical in a pastoralism livestock grazing system.
The establishment of conservancies supports pastoralism as the 60-acre individual plots are too small to support pastoralism.
Conservancies also enable the landowners to implement the proposed deferred rotational grazing system, which will easily be adopted as opposed to other systems since it does not deviate much from normal traditional practice.
This system will involve long grazing periods with equally long rest durations. The wet season is essential for resource regeneration while degraded areas are allowed ample time for full range recovery.
There also has been a steady shift in land use in recent years from purely pastoral (pastoralism) to mixed agro pastoral systems in the greater Amboseli-Tsavo.
Land use changes in dispersal areas compromise their integrity and quality as habitats for a wide variety of wildlife species, generally posing a serious challenge to conservation of biodiversity.
Motivation for cultivation is enhanced by:
- Need to cater for food as their families become larger.
- Additional income accruing from sale of farm produce is used to buy more livestock.
- Change from nomadic pastoralist lifestyle to a sedentary one.
The Amboseli ecosystem comprises the Amboseli National Park and the surrounding group ranches, namely: Kuku, Olgulului/Olalarrashi, Imbirikani, Eselenkei and the former Kimana/Tikondo, whose subdivision in 2000 led to a number of the new landowners coming together to form ALOCA >> Our Story.
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