Tanzania's wildlife population rebounds amid anti-poaching success
Tanzania's unwavering commitment to conservation is bearing fruit, as evidenced by the significant increase in elephant and black rhino populations.
According to the minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Mr Mohamed Mchengerwa, the country’s elephant population is currently at 60, 000 a significant rise from 43, 330 elephants recorded in 2014.
This he said makes Tanzania the third country in Africa with the highest number of elephants.
The minister said the number of black rhinos has continued to increase from 163 in 2019 to 238 in 2022, surpassing the 205 target set by the National Rhino Conservation Strategy for December 2023.
Tabling the ministry budget for the 2023/2024 fiscal year Mr Mchengerwa said the country was able to achieve all this as more efforts continued to be directed towards controlling poaching, illegal wildlife trade, illegal logging, and encroachment in protected areas.
“Security reports indicate that no wildlife deaths resulting from poaching were reported from July 2022 to April 2023,” he said.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Black rhinos same as elephants remain critically endangered species because of the demand for rhino horns and elephant tusks on the illegal international market.
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WWF says poaching for the illegal trade is the greatest and deadliest threat to these species, as the horns and tusks are traded to be used for traditional medicine, and increasingly as a status symbol to display success and wealth.
The conservation efforts he said remain evident as the country accommodate the largest population of lions and giraffes at 14,912 and 24,000 respectively.
He said, “12, 058 poaching suspects have been apprehended, and the minister has conducted special intelligence operations enabling prevention of poaching and illegal harvesting of forests resources,”
“We have seized various weapons including 214 guns (of which 12 rifles, 2 pistols, 45 shotguns, and 155 grenades), 1,427 bullets, and the destruction of seven poaching networks,” said the minister.