There’s a large cultural divide when it comes to dealing with predators in Tanzania versus the American West, Taylor Rabe said.
It’s a contrast the Yellowstone Wolf Project technician has experienced keenly after working in several African countries, then at Yellowstone National Park for the past five years, and over the last two weeks while spending time with Tanzanian conservationist Yamat Lengai.
“Often in interacting with the public I’ve found a lot of people hate predators even without having negative interactions with them,” Rabe said. “Yamat was telling me the community, the ranchers, the farmers are losing livestock daily to these big carnivores in Africa, but they don’t hate the predators. They don’t go out of their way to kill them.”
Exchange program
The two women from opposite sides of the world are learning from their different perspectives as part of a Conservation Nation exchange program. The goal, according to the group’s website, is to “explore what it means to coexist with wildlife in different ecological, social and cultural contexts.”
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In addition to fostering understanding and building bridges across nations, the program emphasizes inclusion by involving people of diverse racial backgrounds.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t really have anyone to look up to who looked like me in the conservation field,” Rabe said in a video posted to Conservation Nation’s website.
Now she’s inspiring the next generation by visiting inner-city classrooms to talk about the “sexy carnivore” she loves to work with in her “dream job.”
“I get paid to show people wolves and spend my time in Yellowstone.”
Conservation fellows
Rabe was the first Conservation Nation fellow, which paid for her to work as a biological science technician for the Wolf Project. In that role, the Ohio native has spent thousands of hours, including her days off, finding and watching the park’s wolves.
“Probably the most important part of my day is education, and showing people wolves for the very first time,” she said.
A mother to two children, Lengai is from a traditional Maasai village bordering Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. Tarangire is the sixth largest national park in the country, and home to one of the largest elephant populations. Other wildlife in the park include wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and lions.
African People & Wildlife has a regional headquarters near the park where it fosters land conservation, wildlife protection and human well-being, according to its website.
African contrast
In her role as a scientist for African People & Wildlife, Lengai conducts evaluations and interviews to assess the program’s effectiveness. She also gathers information on human-wildlife conflicts, oversees community game patrols and honey harvests.
“She went from fearing lions to helping protect big cats, elephants, and other animals through our work with African People & Wildlife,” said Katy Teson, the Bozeman-based communications and outreach manager for the group.
In comparing predator attacks on Maasai livestock, Lengai used a bank-robbing analogy.
“Just imagine that a thief is coming to steal money from your bank,” Lengai said.
Yet as Rabe pointed out, there’s not an organized effort to reduce lions and cheetahs across the Tanzanian landscape.
“There is no legal hunting season on predators where she’s at,” Rabe said. “I think that shows more of an appreciation for wildlife.”
In October, Rabe will travel to Tanzania to spend two weeks in Lengai’s homeland. While there, she wants to learn more about how the locals interact with wildlife.
“This trip is a first-of-its-kind opportunity for two of the fellows to interact in such a meaningful way,” Teson said.
By connecting Lengai and Rabe, the two gain greater insight into the issue of human-wildlife conflict and coexistence within the context of different ecological, social and cultural situations, she added.
Bear affiliation
One of the highlights of Lengai’s trip to Yellowstone has been an education on using telemetry to track and study animals, something she hopes to use in Tanzania.
She also touched snow for the first time, saw elk, wolves and their puppies and bears. Of all these creatures, her favorite animal was the bears.
“They’re so cute and big in size. So I think that they look like me,” she said and laughed.
Arising at 4 a.m. each day, then spending eight hours in the field, much of it hiking, has been a challenge for Lengai.
“The elevation is too high here,” she said. “I’ve been like the last one in the pack.”
“It’s been fun to share that with Yamat,” Rabe said. “She got a taste of the wolf watchers and all of the visitors coming through and some of the craziness that the park has to offer.
“I think that’s one of the most exciting aspects of the job is that every single day is different.”
Teson is hopeful the exchange program provides a successful model for similar trips in the future.
“For African People & Wildlife, this exchange aligns with our core values of empowerment, collaboration, and innovation,” Teson said. “Our coexistence programs focus on Tanzania’s remarkable wildlife and rural communities, and we believe that local solutions can create global impacts. By sharing knowledge and tools, even from distant places, we move closer to achieving a world in balance.”
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