Amid the current ecological crisis, conservation efforts are expanding to balance rangelands and species preservation with the sustainable use of natural resources. Botswana’s Kalahari Desert hosts one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest unprotected areas supporting free-ranging wildlife, the Western Kgalagadi Conservation Corridor (WKCC). However, its role as habitat and movement corridor is increasingly threatened by agricultural land-use changes. Meanwhile, local communities lack nature-based livelihood alternatives, despite holding rich ecological Indigenous knowledge, including exceptional animal tracking skills.

This thesis asks: What is the current status of large wildlife species populations within the WKCC, and can track surveys serve as a reliable wildlife monitoring method while also promoting coexistence and conservation? The aim is to inform future land-use strategies that support both the WKCC’s ecological function and local communities, highlighting the value of tracking-based livelihoods in this effort.

I first refined a century-old method of wildlife abundance estimation from track surveys, the Formozov-Malyshev-Pereleshin formula. Despite areas for further improvement, it proved to be a promising reliable wildlife monitoring tool. Using these refinements, I generated spatial insights into wildlife abundance, habitat use and corridors across the northern WKCC. The area still retains its ecological function, albeit unevenly, for all studied species. However, the demonstrated impact of expanding livestock farming questions its long-term viability.