17:59
Poaching is threatening wild animals including endangered species within the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA), according to the parks’ senior officials.
To
curb the threat, Tanzanian National Parks (TANAPA) has started using
sniffer dogs as well as aircrafts to bolster anti-poaching efforts in
the park which is blessed with beautiful fauna and flora.
“Poaching is a major challenge in the Serengeti
and poachers are now hunting game meat for sell and they are using
dangerous weapons,” SENAPA’s Acting Chief Park Warden, Mr Godson Kimaro
said.
Mr Kimaro said this in a brief presentation to Democratic Republic of
Congo’s (DRC) Minister for Environment Conservation, Nature and
Tourism, Mr Bavon N’sa Mputu. It is estimated that an average of 1,500
herbivorous wild animals are killed by poachers in the park every year
despite ongoing efforts by TANAPA to contain the vice through its
Anti-poaching and Outreach Department which supports community initiated
projects in surrounding villages.
Animals targeted most include elephants, zebras and wildebeests,
according to Mr Kimaro. “We are now using sniffer dogs and small
aircrafts as well as training our rangers to deal with poaching,” he
said.
The country’s second largest park covering 14,763 square kilometres
has over 200 rangers mainly tasked with fighting poaching and other
illegal activities such as grazing in the park. In May 2010 two rhinos
that were brought in from South Africa and received by President Jakaya Kikwete were killed possibly by poachers while in the watch of parks rangers.
Rhinos are among the big fives found in the park and a major tourist
attraction. “The number of tourists visiting SENAPA is currently on the
increase compared to previous years,” Mr Kimaro said. The Congolese
minister visited Serengeti after attending the African Ministerial Conference on Environment in Arusha last week.
Mr N’sa Mputu hailed Tanzania’s conservation efforts pledging to borrow a leaf from the country and implement the same in DRC. “I am pleased with the way Serengeti
is managed and I must take the experience to my country. Serengeti is a
world experience that we in DRC must emulate to improve management of
our parks”, Mr N’sa Mputu said.
By MUGINI JACOB, Tanzania Daily News
