Govt to re-do elephant census in Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem.

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INNOCENT-THE BLOGGER BOY

Minister Lazaro Nyalandu.

As elephants get depleted at a fast speed in various national parks and game reserves in the country the government will again carry-out validation exercise on the exact number of jumbos in Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem in the southern part of the east African nation.

 

This is the second census in a span of one year after the same exercise that was carried out between April and December last year showed that more than 10,000 jumbos disappeared in the ecosystem, while in the 2013 census there were more than 20,000 elephants in the area.

 

“In 2013 census we recorded around 20,000 jumbos in the area but when we conducted a similar exercise between April and December last year we recorded only slightly over 8,000 elephants and this shocked us,” Minister Lazaro Nyalandu (pictured) said.  

 

He added: “Elephants are the main target for poachers and this is the main reason why we’re making closer follow-ups on jumbos.” 

 

Speaking at the just-concluded forum on Africa’s Tourism for the Future, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Adelhem Meru said that poaching was a serious threat to the wildlife sector and tourism industry as a whole.

 

According to him, the sector employed more than 700,000 people and the number was expected to increase.

 

“Tanzania is among  African countries which have been benefiting from the development of tourism; hence the need to rescue wildlife from poachers remains important,” he noted, adding that tourism industry contributed 19 per cent of the country’s GDP.

 

“With the support from different partners, we have bought a number of choppers and other facilities in strengthening the fight against poaching,” he said.

 

In an effort to address human-wildlife conflict, the government also plans to designate special areas for cattle grazing so that pastoralists shouldn’t take cattle in the protected game reserves.

 

Director General for Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa), Allan Kijazi said his authority has been allocating reasonable amount of money for regular patrols as well as addressing the poaching menace.

 

Tanapa manages sixteen national parks—Ruaha, Serengeti, Katavi, Mkomazi, Mikumi, Tarangire, Udzungwa Mountains, Kilimanjaro, Mahale Mountains, Saadani, Arusha, Rubondo, Kitulo, Lake Manyara, Gombe and Saanane.

 

“We have been allocating 3bn/- every year for neighborhood relations with communities living around the parks. We also educate people on the importance of conservation as well as supporting them with development projects,” Kijazi said.