War on poaching gains momentum

Dar es Salaam. Campaigns to save Tanzania’s endangered elephants continue to gather steam with several activities lined up to support the government efforts to combat poaching that has recently soiled the country’s image internationally.

Government dignitaries, diplomats and several conservationists are scheduled to launch “Save the Elephant” campaign next week in Dar es Salaam, while a major international summit will be held in May, as part of separate initiatives to bolster the war against poaching. 

The coordinator of Tembo Marathon Tanzania, Mr Robert Bob Zangi, who supports the campaign, told The Citizen yesterday in an interview in the city that the drive was aimed at taking public education to the communities around national parks and game reserves as key players in the war.

“We have invited the Head of State to launch the initiative on March 29, as part of our commitment to support his government’s drive to ensure Tanzania remains safe for its elephants while roping in local communities in helping to identify poachers and their funders,” said Mr Zangi.

Double Tree by Hilton, Tanzania Tourist Board, Qatar Airways and UBL Bank are the main sponsors of the Tembo Night event whose culmination will be a short marathon in Arusha to highlight the importance of tourism to the country’s economy.   

Meanwhile, the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu, announced yesterday that Tanzania would host an international summit on wildlife conservation in a bid to curb the current wave of poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. 

The summit, scheduled to take place from May 9 to 10 in Dar es Salaam, will be attended by national and international stakeholders who are actively working in the field of wildlife conservation.