Between 2009-2014 60% of Tanzania's elephants have been hunted by poachers.
- Tanzania Government Census (RTGC)
CONSERVATION
Conservation vs Poaching
Poaching is considered as one of the greatest threats to the worlds most endangered species and has been deemed illegal for hundreds of years. Wildlife poaching and the illegal trafficking of wildlife products is negatively affecting the ecosystem and the socioeconomic development of Tanzania.
Tanzania has been called “the epicentre of Africa’s elephant poaching crisis” after a government census revealed the catastrophic loss of 60% of its elephants between 2009-2014. These wildlife resources are a natural heritage and are economically important for Tanzania. The country dedicates over 25% of its land surface to wildlife protected area networks (National Parks, Conservation Areas, Game Reserves, and Game Controlled Areas). Despite various efforts to conserve wildlife, iconic species such as the African rhino and elephant are being poached to near extinction, causing systemic and tangible devastation to biodiversity on a global scale.
Our battle against poaching
One key solution to battle poaching is within the tribal communities that inhabit these protected lands. The Foundation assists local communities in the performance of reconnaissance within the protected areas, coordinating with tribal communities in relation to poachers operating within the vicinity. We then report these activities to the relevant authorities and assist them in the capturing of such people.
The most efficient way to conserve such areas of high biodiversity is to respect tribal peoples’ rights within these areas and offer them the tools and knowledge to combat and diminish poaching in the lands they inhabit. Tribal people are considered as the best conservationists because they have managed these lands filled with biodiversity for many generations. The Foundation advocate the respect of human rights for tribal people and their maintenance and settlement within these lands.
