Effects of infrastructure development on African Cape buffalo behaviour: A case study of lake Nakuru national park, Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The study's purpose was to assess the impacts of infrastructure development on African Cape buffalo behaviour in Lake Nakuru National Park. Descriptive survey design was used in this research since it allowed the study of African Cape buffalo without affecting their normal behaviour. The target population size was 215,000 people from which a sample size of 138 respondents was derived using Brickman's formulae. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), questionnaires and field observation were used to collect primary data. Statistical Package for social science (SPSS) version 25 was used in data analysis. Descriptive analysis is presented using tables, frequencies and percentages while inferential statistics was done using regression model. Secondary data collected through a review of government documents and environmental journals was further used to enrich the results. It was established that infrastructure development exists in Lake Nakuru National Park, and it affects the African Cape buffalo behaviour. The study further indicated that the conservation policies aided in conserving the African Cape buffalo. Recommendations given are useful in environmental policy formulation for sustainable development of protected areas in both the county level and the national level.