Tanzania has launched with UN financial support, a special program for monitoring of elephants by satellite, as part of efforts to protect the species which are particularly targeted by poachers, APA learns here Monday.
According to TANAPA’s CEO, Allan Kijazi, the satellite check will regularly provide information on the seasonal movement of these thick-skinned animals and contribute to the implementation of conservation corridors and dispersal areas for better protection of the elephants
Moreover, 30 curators and friends of wildlife in Tanzania wrote, last week, to the new Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli, asking him to take “urgent measures” against elephant poaching in the country.
“50 years ago, Tanzania had 300,000 elephants, against only 109,000 in 2009 and about 43,000 currently”, these friends of wildlife revealed, reporting a decrease of about 60% every five years.
“Losing elephants is losing an important part of the history and identity of our country” authors of the letter for whom, poaching further threatens tourism, an important source of income for the country, said.
These nature lovers asked the Tanzanian government “to arrest and prosecute dealers in elephant tusks in Tanzania, whatever their nationality, their privileges or status”.
According to sources, Tanzanian and foreign diplomats are reported to be involved in the trafficking.
“Persecutions against those involved in elephant tusks smuggling will dismantle poaching networks”, authors of the open letter to President Magufuli hope.
They called on the new Tanzanian president to take advantage of “the historic friendship between Tanzania and China to end elephant tusks trade in China”.
According to these friends of wildlife, about 90% of smuggled ivory from Tanzania goes to China.