Tanzania's Elephant population summary

In general, the national census which was a follow up to the 2009 nationwide census revealed a decrease of 65,721 elephants from 109, 051 to only 43,330 elephants, an equivalent of a 60.3 per cent drop in a span of five years.

Areas which recorded a decrease in the elephant numbers include the Malagarasi-Moyozi ecosystem which recorded an 81 per cent decrease well from 15,198 in 2009 to 2,953.

In the Kilimanjaro ecosystem the number fell from 450 to 100, a decrease of 77.8 per cent.

The census recorded a considerable increase in the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem from 13,000 herds in 2013 to 15,217, an increase of 2000.  The increase is linked to improved management as well as the support received from conservation partners. Bear in mind that there were around 70000 elephants in Selous alone in 2006. They have been severely massacred.

The Serengeti which is the World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve of mankind saw an impressive 98 per cent increase from 3,068 in 2009 to 6,087 in 2014.

In the Tarangire ecosystem, a 64 per cent increase was recorded from 2,561 in 2009 to 4,202 in 2014. Tarangire, according to the data, has the highest elephant population density in the world.

The census recorded a 108 per cent increase in Rubondo from 49 in 2009 to 102 in 2014, while the population in Katavi-Rukwa remained stable with 6,396 in the same period.

Ruaha-Rungwa is in dispute. Census showed a decrease from 20,000 to 8200 from 2013 to 2014. The Government believes these numbers are wrong and is organising a new search starting in November to try and find the missing elephants






I hope I am wrong but I suspect what is left of them will be found in Ivory shops in Hong Kong and China.

African Parks to help running Tanzania's Wildlife Reserves

The Government of Tanzania has shared the disastrous results of the Great Elephant Census in their country, and they have promised action. Leaders acknowledged the losses, and have pledged to reinforce their commitment to protecting elephant populations where they need it most. The Great Elephant Census sincerely applauds Tanzania’s recognition of the gravity of this situation and for applying the preliminary data to inform conservation strategies in elephant ecosystems across the country. The Government of Tanzania has already announced the following measures;

•  Tanzania is bringing in the African Parks Network to run the Burigi and Biharamulo wildlife reserves and is working to conclude negotiations on that agreement.
• The northern sector of the Selous Game Reserve, where Vuclan is working with the Frankfurt Zoological Society to combat poaching on the ground, will be devoted exclusively to photographic tourism, the government will let the existing hunting concessions in that area lapse, and will bring in TANAPA, which runs the Tanzanian National Parks, to help run the area.
• Increase the number of rangers deployed to the Rungwa Game Reserve.
• Increase the resources and personnel deployed to Tarangire to prevent what happened in the Selous and Rungwa from happening there.
  
  
  
  It sounds good but will it actually get off the ground? Will the Tanzanian staff get the resources they need to effectively combat the poachers of is it just more gum bumping by politicians to try and save their sorry arses?

Tanzania government is to break up the Game Department and move responsibility to the Tanzania Wildlife Authority

The government of Tanzania is to break up the Game Department as one way towards helping to revive the country's elephant numbers, depleted due to rampant poaching.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism thinks it can increase the number of elephants to 100,000 over the next five years.

Lazaro Nyalandu, Minister of tourism and Natural Resources, said the government had decided to dismantle the Game Department which was previously under his Ministry and transfer personnel to the Tanzania Wildlife Authority, which is now being restructured into a completely new agency.

The new agency will be responsible for over 120,000 square kilometres (46,332 square miles) of land.

He also said the number of poachers that are being apprehended is dropping drastically.
"The drop comes from the government effort to increase the number on man-patrol since February last year," he said.

But he would be able to say that  - if there are no eles left then the poachers will move on.

The Minister called for more help from the international community in terms of funding and technical support.

A 2014 survey indicated that the elephant population in the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem, in Tanzania's undeveloped south, crashed from 20,000 in the previous year to 8,272. So to protect the remaining elephants in Ruaha-Rungwa, the government is already doubling the number of game rangers to 140. Furthermore it is committed to provide transportation, weaponry and uniforms for them to work
efficiently. By the end of 2014, they had hired another 1000 rangers to be deployed throughout the country.

Tanzania and Mozambique have signed a bilateral agreement to protect the Selous-Niassa Corridor, which will become the world's largest protected area.

Not that Mozambique is providing any protection worth a damn to the Niassa reserve. Mozambique has lost 50% of its elephants in just five years, mostly in this area. Government, the police and the judiciary all complicit in the killing.

He has also signed a new agreement with his Zambian counterpart to protect the Miombo woodland.This woodland is about 2.5 million square kilometers of land criss crossing Tanzania and Zambia, a crucial habit for the elephants to multiply in.

I hope this is more than just a PR excerise.

China donates $2 million worth of conservation hardware to Zimbabwe

China yesterday donated $2,3 million worth of equipment to be used to curb the illegal hunting
and poaching of game in this country. An additional $100 000 was added to help set up a Zim-
China foundation for the protection of wildlife.

The equipment donated by China includes lorries, SUVs, pick-up trucks, mobile radios, telescopes and tents.

Zimparks director Mr Edson Chidziya said an additional $20 million was required for all the
operational support to reduce poaching and other problems.

"We do have the operational costs which are affecting us and we need an additional $20 million
for refurbishment and rehabilitation for our parks which include roads, infrastructure in the
parks and game park fences."

Good start for China. But rather than run a PR exercise why doesn't China do something big and
STOP the legal trade in Ivory forthwith.

UK gives £5 million to help fight against wildlife crime

Up to £5 million of UK Government funding will made available to initiatives around the world
to help tackle the cruel trade in rhino horn, elephant ivory and other illegal wildlife
products, Defra Minister Rory Stewart has announced .

Poaching is rife in parts of Africa, with 1,293 rhinos killed last year and over 20,000
elephant deaths attributed to poaching in 2013.

The UK is playing a leading role in global efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, which
involves international criminal networks and undermines the economies of our trading partners
in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Round Two of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund will support practical action against
wildlife crime by strengthening law enforcement, reducing demand for illegal products and by
helping communities develop sustainable conservation schemes.

It's peanuts compared to what we are happy to give to places like Pakistan, or waste on weapons, but every little helps.  However, the World still hasn't fully woken up to this problem. We all want to see wildlife healthy and protected but we don't seem to want to provide the funds to achieve it. A Global fund ought to be set up as its a Global problem and we ALL want to be able to enjoy the World's wildlife.

Two arrested for killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe

Authorities in Zimbabwe are trying track down a Spanish hunter who paid park guides $55,000
(£35,000) for the pleasure of killing Cecil, one of Africa’s most famous lions, who was the star
attraction of Hwange National Park. He was found skinned and headless on the outskirts of the
park. The two people who accompanied the hunter have already been arrested.

The 13-year-old lion, wearing a GPS collar, was tricked into leaving the park, by hunters who used an animal carcass to tempt him out, and then shot with a bow and arrow. The hunters then tracked the dying animal for 40 hours before they finished it off with a rifle.

This  technique of enticing lions out of parks is commonly used so that so called hunters can “legally” kill protected lions.

Cecil was currently father to six cubs; they will now be killed by whichever new male moves in
to take over his pride, in order to encourage the lionesses to mate.

He was part of an Oxford University study looking into the impact of sports hunting on lions
living in the safari area surrounding the national park. The research found that 34 of 62 tagged lions died during the study period. 24 were shot by sport hunters. Sport hunters in the safari areas surrounding the park killed 72% of tagged adult males from the study area.

Cecil was the Hwange's biggest tourist attraction. The amount of money he generated from
photography in a couple of weeks far exceeds the one off payment that someone accepted for his
death.

This is unethical hunting at its worst. I hope they find who did it and stick one of his arrows 
where the sun doesn't shine. What an utter waste of a beautiful animal.

A complete review of lion hunting, including "canned hunting'"is called for and the whole messy business should be stopped for good.

African Parks to manage Liwonde National Park and NKhotakota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi

African Parks is pleased to announce that it has concluded an agreement with the Government of Malawi to manage and operate Liwonde

National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve for 20 years. The agreement follows an application and evaluation process administered by the Public Private Partnership Commission in which African Parks emerged as the preferred partner to manage the two protected areas.


This is great news for Malawi's Wildlife. African Parks is THE best Wildlife management company out there - they do it properly and are uncorruptable.

EU bans ivory trophy imports from Tanzania and Mozambique

EU chiefs have ordered the ban on elephant hunting trophies from Tanzania and Mozambique
because of the threat posed to the animals by poachers. There is already a ban on importing the
trophies from Zambia. The decision was taken by an EU scientific committee, which rules on
whether hunting trophy imports are sustainable.

Previously, Tanzania and Mozambique were each permitted to export tusks from 100 elephants
every year into the EU as hunting trophies. However, both countries have seen a significant
decline in elephant numbers due to soaring levels of poaching.  Tanzania has lot 65% of its
elephant population in just five years and currently only has 43000 elephants in total in the
whole country.

Mozambique has similarly lost around 50% in just five years and may only have 13000 elephants
left.

The European Union’s decision is the latest milestone in the campaign to crack down on the
slaughter of thousands of rare beasts every year by poachers who sell ivory and skins for huge
profits.

- See more at: http://africageographic.com/blog/eu-bans-import-of-hunting-trophies-from-
tanzania-and-mozambique/#sthash.1Plto4RK.dpuf

Is demand for ivory in China diminishing?

Demand for ivory in China may have either remained stable or even decreased slightly in 2014 and the first half of 2015, new data suggests. Ivory (illegally) offered for sale online in China fetched similar prices in 2014 as it had the previous year. In contrast, from 2010 to 2013 the price tripled. The number of official ivory carving factories and retail outlets in the country has decreased substantially for the first time since licensing began.

Tanzanian Government admits the country is an elephant slaughterhouse

Today, Tanzania has announced the preliminary results from the aerial surveys in Tanzania that were conducted as part of the Great Elephant Census (GEC).

The figures released today show the east African country’s elephant population, once among Africa’s largest, has fallen to 43,330, a drop of several thousand from the previous survey. In 1976 Tanzania boasted seven times as many elephants.

Announcing the results of a new aerial survey the Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Lazaro Nyalandu claimed the figures were a “mixed bag” with increases in some areas overshadowed by a dramatic fall in the Ruaha area from 20,000 in 2013 to 8,272 last year.

The announcement confirmed an ITV News report earlier this year which was “categorically denied” at the time by the National Parks authority.

Mr Nyalandu announced a number of measures to combat poaching including an increase in the number of rangers in the affected areas, new funding for anti-poaching efforts and a national law enforcement strategy to address the lack of successful prosecutions for poaching.


Why has this gone on so long? Will anything realy be done about it? We are running out of time.
This is one post I really wished I'd never be writing.

                                          R.I.P.