The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in various negative repercussions worldwide in terms of biological conservation, the tourism sector and socioeconomic welfare. The purpose of this study was to assess and understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on socio-economic activities, income from the tourism sector, alternative sources of income adapted by the local communities adjacent to the Burunge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) as a means of survival, and its implications for biodiversity conservation. To assess tourism status, socio-economic activities and alternative livelihoods, interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informants’ consultations were conducted on 264 respondents, of whom 53% (n = 140) were men and 47% (n = 124) were women. Secondary data were synthesized from soft and hard copy reports through an extensive literature search in order to comprehend the implications of COVID-19 and alternative livelihoods in biodiversity conservation. 90.5% (239) of respondents reported being seriously affected by the emergence of COVID-19, while 9.5% (n = 25) were not affected by it. Some of the impacts of the COVID-19 as pointed out by the respondents included deflation 91.7% (n = 242), a decline in the number of customers 91.7% (n = 242), whereas others lost jobs 5.7% (n = 15). In the case of the Burunge WMA authority, revenue collection (mainly from the tourism sector) declined by 32.5% and 76.4% for the years 2019/20 and 2020/21, respectively, as compared to the revenue obtained in the year 2018/19 before COVID-19. During the pandemic, local communities adapted to several alternative sources of income, including fishing 9.5% (n = 25), Boda-Boda (motorcycle taxis) 3.4% (n = 9), agriculture 22.3% (n = 59), and livestock keeping 27.3% (n = 72). It is important for local communities, especially those adjacent to protected areas, to have diversified means of income that are environmentally and socially sustainable, such as fish farming and beekeeping, to reduce the impacts of unanticipated crises such as COVID-19
