Saving endangered species in Kilombero basin a priority

Kilombero. The environmental pollution that threatens climate change in the Kilombero River Basin is putting pressure on the survival of endangered species, which authorities are taking measures to save.

In 2021, the International Organization for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) listed 120 species that are at risk of disappearing in Tanzania. These include 19 animals, 14 birds, 29 reptiles, and 58 amphibians.

In the Udzungwa National Park and Magombera Forest, the threatened species include red monkeys (Procolobus gordonorum), Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii), Magombera chameleons, and African elephants (Loxodonta Africana).

However, on the red list, no creature has been declared extinct so far.

Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa) said it has been conducting regular patrols in the valley, providing awareness and strengthening the boundaries of the reserved areas to eliminate human interference with wildlife.

“The basin is facing the challenge of invasion by human activities, particularly housing, livestock keeping, agriculture, and illegal fishing.” “These activities have led to a significant decrease in wildlife due to the environmental pollution,” said Tawa Conservation Commissioner, Mr. Mabula Misungwi.

The Udzungwa National Park assistant conservation commissioner, Mr. Abel Peter, said there is a need to control damage caused by human activities to the valley.

“The elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) we see are currently in the group of endangered species as poaching is reemerging.” “That’s why we have strengthened the protection,” Mr Peter said during a media visit to Morogoro region under 'USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili' project.

According to him, more than 90 percent of the 100 square kilometers of forests were harvested between the Udzungwa Mountains and the Nyerere National Park.

“The biodiverse forests were damaged since the 1950s as agricultural activities have led to the clearing of approximately one million hectares of forest within the valley.” “There are 6,471 hectares left,” he said.

The park is one of the 22 national parks with more than 2,500 trees and 12 types of monkeys and is the source of water for Kidatu Dam, Kihansi, and Kilombero Valley, which are used for rice cultivation and sugarcane production at the Kilombero Sugar Factory.

The reserve also receives an average of 8,000 tourists per year, he said.

The director of wildlife at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Maurus Msuha, said the issue of conservation is sustainable, which is why the government has set aside 32.5 percent of the land as wildlife sanctuaries, against the target of 30 percent in the world by 2030.

“This shows the importance of Tanzania in the conservation of biodiversity in the world,” said Dr Msuha.

The executive secretary of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato), Mr. Sirili Akko, said the contribution of these species is important in ecology, praising the security that continues to be strengthened. “Those birds and amphibians are very important in ecology. We cannot take them for granted in business and marketing,” he said.

Poaching back?

According to the officials of the Udzungwa reserve, which is estimated to have more than 2,000 elephants, a motorcycle rider was arrested with three pieces of elephant tusks in January this year, at the border of the Iringa and Morogoro regions.

Recently, officials from the Ruaha National Park (Runapa) arrested three people in Iringa with eight elephant tusks and six other pieces worth more than Sh206 million.

Gasto Colman, a warden in the Udzungwa Reserve, said all the perpetrators were still in custody while the process to charge them in court was ongoing.

“One of the arrested is from Dodoma, and another is from Msolwa village. There are also residents of these areas. The search for poachers continues in order to protect the natural resources,” he said.

The chairman of Sole Village within the Kilombero district, Mr. Wendo Isdory, said the elephants are threatening students at a secondary school that is suspected of having been built in the elephant corridor.

“The elephants always pass by the school during the day, and it is very dangerous,” he said.

Between 2019 and 2021, the number of incidents of elephants entering and exiting the villages located in the middle of the reserve increased from 167 to 300.

However, the project manager of the three-year restoration project of the Kilombero elephant sanctuary in the valley, Mr. Josephat Mwalugelo, said that within four years of the project, they have already started to see hope.

The project has provided compensation of Sh2 billion to 179 farms located on 13.5 km of elephant routes, education in schools, loans to groups, and the building of a solar fence to prevent elephants from entering the human shelter.

Morogoro regional natural resources officer Joseph Chuwa said that among the measures that have been taken to control the threat is the establishment of a committee of nine members for the management of the swamp under the Kilombero District Commissioner’s office.

“There are incidents of damages and deaths of residents killed by elephants.” “There are also incidents in which elephants have been killed by people after getting into farming fields in the past,” said Mr Mwalugelo.