The impact of wildlife conservation on the food habits of local people in Western Serengeti, Tanzania.

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of wildlife conservation on the food habits of local people in western Serengeti. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select respondents. A check list of questions was used to collect data on the past food habits and this was collected through in-depth interview with 12 elders/key informants in the study area. Data on the current food habits was collected through household survey whereby 180 respondents were interviewed. Anthropometrics measurements were taken to assess the current nutritional status of children under five years. Data were coded and analyzed using the statistical package and software system (SPSS). The study findings showed that there was no significant difference in the type of food eaten by the local people living close to protected area and those living far from the protected area. It was found that people of the western Serengeti depend much on the protected areas as their source of food especially during shortage. However, Wildlife conservation activities in the study area have shown significant effect on food production and processing in the area. There was no strong association between distance from the park and the nutrition status of children so, it was not easy to conclusively point distance to protected or access to game meat as the primary root cause of malnutrition of children under five years. However, women work load, communal feeding behavior and poor feeding practices might be the reason for malnutrition found in the area. It is recommended that, further study should be conducted to assess causes of malnutrition other than access to game meat/food habits.