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Copyright © 2024 Manyara Ranch Conservancy. All Rights Reserved.
Sorry, the page you are looking for is not available. Please check the URL or return to the homepage.
Copyright © 2024 Manyara Ranch Conservancy. All Rights Reserved.
Manyara Ranch began as Maasai grazing land, where it supported generations of indigenous peoples.
Manyara Ranch began as Maasai grazing land, supporting generations of indigenous peoples.
In the 1950s, it was first developed by Rufus Riddlesbarger, an American entrepreneur who relocated to what was then British Tanganyika after facing legal troubles in the United States. He secured the use of the land, which would become Manyara Ranch, from the elders of the nearby village of Esilalei. At the time, the Maasai had not grazed their cattle there for years due to an infestation of tsetse flies.
The cattle ranch later passed to another immigrant to Tanzania, George Damm. After Damm was killed in 1974, the central government assumed control of Manyara Ranch. Soon after, the ranch, along with many other large livestock operations, came under the management of Tanzania’s National Ranching Corporation (NARCO).
Like many NARCO ranches, Manyara struggled due to poor management and a lack of resources. The ranch lost money, and its grasslands became barren. Poaching and illegal tree felling for charcoal further degraded the habitat. In 1995, when President Benjamin Mkapa was elected, his vision was to improve the efficiency and profitability of government institutions. Manyara Ranch, along with other underperforming NARCO ranches, became a target for privatization.
At the time, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an African conservation-led NGO, was active in Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, working with Tanzania National Parks and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve infrastructure and management. Concerned that the privatization of government-held properties would harm wildlife, USAID commissioned a study to evaluate the potential effects. The 1998 report concluded that if Manyara Ranch “were to be used for modern ranching or intensive agricultural purposes, the impact on wildlife movement could be extremely negative.” Of the three properties evaluated in the Maasai Steppe, Manyara Ranch “seemed to be the single most consequential for wildlife movement.”
As the government’s plan to divest Manyara Ranch became clear, AWF began working with local communities, officials from both local and national governments, and other nongovernmental organizations to develop a proposal. The wildebeest migration had persisted for years; it could not be disrupted now.
The second component proposed that the land be held in trust, with a board to manage Manyara Ranch for the benefit of wildlife and local communities.
In 2001, President Mkapa granted the newly registered Tanzania Land Conservation Trust a 99-year lease to Manyara Ranch. Trustees included a representative from the Monduli District Council (MDC), a local member of parliament, representatives from AWF, Tanzania National Parks, the World Wildlife Fund, the United Nations Development Program, local Maasai community members, and a representative from the tourism industry. In 2017, the lease was transferred to the Monduli District Council, and with support from AWF, MDC established the Manyara Ranch Management Trust (MRMT) to oversee the ranch’s daily operations.
In 2024, MRMT leadership opened the ranch to tourism. Two tour companies now offer game drives, walking safaris, and more.
For over two decades, the Manyara Ranch Conservation Area has been a priority for the Government of Tanzania. Through a collaborative and integrated landscape approach, Monduli District Council (MDC), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), local communities, and private sector partners have worked together to secure and manage this critical conservation area. Manyara Ranch stands as a testament to the possibility of coexistence between human livelihoods and wildlife conservation, setting a benchmark for sustainable land use in the region.
Sustainable Conservation and Tourism Excellence
Sustainable Conservation for Development
