TAWA seizes 91 guns, arrests 2,304 poachers

Photo: Courtesy of National Assembly

Angellah Kairuki, the Natural Resources and Tourism minister

By Guardian Reporter , The Guardian

IN the past ten months the government has seized a total of 91 firearms and 276 bullets, arrested 2,304 suspects for various offences in forests managed by the

Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA).

Angellah Kairuki, the Natural Resources and Tourism minister, made this observation in the National Assembly on Friday when tabling budget estimates for the 2024/25 financial year.

Efforts injected by the government to fight poaching had prevented a range of criminal incidents targeting wildlife and livestock, as the agency heightened security in various game reserves with patrols and other measures.

Up to late April a total of 11,593 patrols were conducted, being 80 percent of the target of conducting 14,487 patrols, she said, noting that 41,294 livestock were impounded after being found in protected areas.

A total of 2,056 traps installed to catch specific animals were detected and destroyed, she said, pointing out that the number of trapped elephants dying from the devices was cut from six deaths during fiscal 2022/23 to three deaths by April 2024.

TAWA rehabilitated 764.5km of roads in Kizigo and Selous game reserves and built a rhino monitoring shed at Maswa Game Reserve, she said, elaborating that TAWA bought 10 motorcycles to strengthen patrols, while training 458 rangers.

TAWA participated in various international exhibitions and forums to raise awareness and market attractions it manages, registering an increase of tourists in those areas to 157,725 tourists by late April, from 139,749 tourists recorded during fiscal 2022/23, she stated.

In efforts to heighten protection of wildlife on the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the management conducted 251 patrols enabling arrest of 339 poaching suspects, while 16,683 livestock, one firearm with four magazines and 28 elephant tusks were seized.

The NCAA has placed beacons to prevent human-wildlife conflicts and sought to cut possibility of fire incidents by clearing boundaries stretching to 116 kilometers, she stated.

Collaboration with the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) enabled improvement on chilli bombs to heighten control of elephants from invading settlements and farms, she further noted.

The cool bombs were researched by Mzinga Corporation and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and will be directed to villages facing intrusion challenges in 20 districts countrywide, she added.