WORLD WILDLIFE DAY: ELEPHANT POACHING IN TANZANIA.by | 07-03-2015 03:37 |
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 On 20 December 2013, the Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 3 March as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world?s wild fauna and flora. The date is the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in 1973, which plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the species? survival. World Wildlife day is the day where people globally celebrate the availability of being blessed with both Fauna and Flora. On top of that, they sensitizes the importance of preserving and managing their wildlife, warning different poachers who tortured different animals like Elephant for their own benefit. Tanzania is among the African Countries blessed with Natural Resources which are not found in other countries like elephant. Surprisingly, In Tanzania, Elephant Poaching is a serious issue in Southern Tanzania whereby elephants are left to move freely outside the park and hence a thousands of elephants have been killed and tortured by poachers who invade different game reserve and National Parks in Tanzania for their own benefit. A study conducted by Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) revealed that the number of elephants in two wildlife sanctuaries in Tanzania indicated a sharp fall by more than 40 percent in just three years, as poachers increasingly killed the animals for their tusks. The study was conducted in the Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park and revealed elephant numbers had plunged to 38,975 in 2009 from 70,406 in 2006 (TAWIRI 2010). Given the estimated total elephant population in Tanzania is between 110,000 and 140,000. Therefore, with that high number of killed elephant in 2006 – 2009 there is a need to fight against poaching in Tanzania. Elephant poaching is facilitated by corrupt government which support poaching whereby rangers game and people in-charge may be offered some bribe and hence misusing the natural resource for their own benefit. Also bad governance and irresponsibility towards managing the wildlife. Questions may arise why elephants? The answer is that elephants increases the national revenue and foreign currency through the number of tourists who visit different national parks located in Tanzania. Tourism sector contributes the highest percent of GDP in the country. Elephants helps to create openings that other animals can pass by, they create salt licks that are rich in nutrients for other animals, elephant droppings are important to the environment since they may act as manure for the grassland to fertile in the park. They also dig waterholes in the riverbeds that other animals can have access to natural water. With that crucial roles of an elephant, there is a need to preserve and manage this heritage for future generation. I therefore call upon internal government and external agencies like UNEP and NGO dealing in preserving elephants to collaborate and work together and also to formulate strict laws and they should be in force to fight against poaching. Citizens surrounding different national parks should be educated regarding the importance of managing wildlife and by this it will help to create mutual understanding and report poachers. I believe we can achieve zero poaching like NEPAL did. Let?s all Say NO to Wildlife Crime in Tanzania. References http://www.un.org/en/events/wildlifeday/ http://www.tz.undp.org/content/tanzania/en/home/presscenter/articles/2013/09/23/tanzania-unites-to-combat-elephant-poaching-national-elephant-day-2013.html |
