The strengthening the protected areas network in southern Tanzania (SPANEST), Project Coordinator Godwell Ole Meng’ataki making a presentation today at SaiVilla Lodge in Iringa.
Group photograph
From left is MBOMIPA Chairman Philip Mkumbata, Zawadi Gembe (Mjumbe-MBOMIPA)and MBOMIPA Secretary Josphat Kisanyage presenting their reports respectively during
the meeting today.
In the battle of
fighting against elephant poaching in Ruaha National Park, SPANEST has started
radio collaring and monitoring of 30 elephants, it has been learnt.
The strengthening the
protected areas network in southern Tanzania (SPANEST), Project Coordinator Godwell
Ole Meng’ataki said the radio collaring and monitoring of elephants by putting
devices around their neck of the female elephant leaders will curb illegal
hunting.
"As you know that every group of elephants has a leader which is mostly female elephant, so device will be put around the neck of leader hence making ease to locate them wherever they will be.." he said.
He stressed that the
coming of SPANEST project in Ruaha National Park has seen elephant the decrease
in poaching incidences whereby a total of 36 elephants were killed in the year 2013/2014
compared to 82 elephants killed in the year 2012/2013.
The SPANEST project
coordinator made the revelation on Wednesday when he was visited by the United
Nations resident coordinator of the UN system, Alvaro Rodriguez who has been
the country for three months now.
He said that the project
has also involves the local community by giving them conservation awareness
programs in the villages and communities adjacent to protected areas (PA) under
the project.
Of recently, SPANEST has
had conducted a youth awareness campaign against poaching for Idodi and Pawaga
divisions (21 villages), using football competition (SPANEST CUP) targeting the
youth teams.
The competition motto: Stop elephant poaching, play football,
protect the elephants.
The aim of the project is
to increase the effectiveness of national parks in protecting biodiversity and protect
for the long term ecological, social and financial sustainability.
Meng’ataki said the
drying up of the Great Ruaha River (GRR) is still the main challenge that
making water resources decreasing, as result elephants were seen debarking
baobab trees for water and destroying crops of the people living around buffer
zones.
However, United Nations
resident coordinator of the UN system, Alvaro Rodriguez has been impressed with
the projects implemented by UN agencies through delivery as one motivation.
The delivery as one is
system that is coordinating all UN agencies projects that is supporting the
priorities of UN together development partners in Tanzania.
He said for the three
months that he has been in the country he has managed to visit various areas including
hospitals, clinics of people living with HIV/AIDS, income generating activities
and parks.
He said that when he was
Iringa he visited SPANEST project which doing the anti poaching drive of
elephants in the Ruaha National Park.
Rodriguez said that he was impressed by the SPANEST
project which funded by Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and implemented UNDP since
Ruaha National Park has largest number of elephants in the country.
He urged that if the
national resources is well utilized will help to benefit all, hence human
development and poverty reduction.
Furthermore, he raised the
question of gender balance when it comes to train and employ game guards.
He observed that there
are few female game guards than male; adding that employing female game guards
will increase the number of tourists coming in the country hence increased
foreign exchange.
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