Wire Snare art and Conservation: Improving Local Community Livelihoods to Reduce Wildlife Snare Poaching in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania

Our project aims to improve economic livelihoods of local communities living adjacent to Serengeti National Park and Reduce poaching pressure on wildlife by implementing handcrafting industry that uses collected wire snares from the parks. We will meet these aims by:

(i) Bringing financial benefits to local communities by producing crafts from wire snares for the national and international markets

(ii) Cultivating creative growth process in wire snare artisanry that promote unique signature style for promoting wildlife conservation in Serengeti

(iii) Educating foreign tourists and local communities about wildlife species threatened by snare poaching to improve conservation.

Our methods include (i) providing specialized skills training to a group of local communities on how to make arts and crafts from wire snares (ii) disseminating conservation education to promote species conservation (iii) promoting snare art products for selling to various customers such as tourists, schools etc. Specifically, we will conduct the following activities:

a. Train local villagers to make snare jewels

b. Produce diverse wire snare products for selling at local and international markets

c. Disseminate conservation education about wildlife species threatened by snare poaching

d. Draw a business plan to ensure project continuity beyond the funding period.