Vultures at risk of extinction in Rauha and Katavi national parks

Iringa District Commissioner Richard Kasesela speaks    during the International Vulture Awareness Day at Tungamalenga Village yesterday.

Msafiri Mgumba Assistant Ecological Coordinator (AEC) Ruaha -Katavi Landscape Program Wildlife Conservation Society explains to the public about the vultures.

Students hold pictures of vultures

Halima Kiwango Ruaha National Park ecologist

Secretary General of MBOMIPA Josephate Kisanyage

Mkuu wa Kanda- KDU Iringa Paul Simango

By Friday Simbaya, Iringa

Vultures in Ruaha and Katavi national parks are under grave threat of extinction due to the use of deadly poisons by villagers.

According to Msafiri Mgumba Assistant Ecological Coordinator (AEC) Ruaha -Katavi Landscape Program Wildlife Conservation Society statement issued yesterday by to mark International Vulture Awareness Day, Ruaha National Park and Katavi National Park vultures they have seen decrease in their population since 2013-2017. 

This is according to the study they conducted in collaboration with North Carolina Zoo of USA, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA).

Tanzania is marking International Vulture Awareness Day for the first in the history of country and it was held at Tungamalenga Village, one the villages surrounding RUNAPA in Iringa district, Iringa region.

He said through Ruaha-Katavi Landscape Program the ecology of Ruaha-Katavi is very important in the conservation of 5 types of vultures that are at high risk of extinction.

Msafiri said that in recent reviews indicate that poisoning is the major threat to the vulture population especial in Ruaha National Park (RUNAPA). 

He said villagers left the dead cow with poison to hunt for the lion who killed but unfortunately the group of vultures at that body died.

“Encroaching cattle that has been killed by lioness but villagers in revenge leave the dead cow with poison and left to rot is being eaten by the birds and is killing them”, he said.

Ruaha and Katavo have five vulture species including white headed vulture, Ruppel’s, White-backed vulture, Rüppell's vulture, big headed vulture listed by WCS that are critically endangered.

“Poisoning is probably the biggest threat to Ruaha-Katavi ’s vultures,” said Msafiri Mgumba Assistant Ecological Coordinator (AEC) Ruaha -Katavi Landscape Program Wildlife Conservation Society .

Vultures are supreme scavengers and play an essential ecological role as garbage collectors and re-cyclers and the free the environmental Carrion, birds are large, carnivorous, scavenger birds, which breeds diseases.

According to WCS, at least 56 vultures were killed over the past four years in Ruaha National Park due to use of poisons by the Tungamalenga villagers in Iringa District, Iringa region.

In 2015 to date, WCS and North Carolina Zoo have been successful put 10 vultures with special devices on the back, to get information about them when they split out of the Ruaha National Park and went on other areas or outside of Tanzania.

Therefore, the vultures are migratory birds which migrate annually between Africa and other parts of the world and they come but to the country.

On his part, Iringa District Commissioner Richard Kasesela was the guest of honour during the International Vulture Awareness Day said raising awareness among villagers is the first line of defence against the decline in numbers due to poisoning.

He urged villagers not to kill vultures’ birds because they important of for environmental conservation and also they help in reducing poaching in the parks.

Kasesela said vultures were helping village game scouts (VGS) and game rangers to locate where the dead bodies of wildlife are.

He added that vultures are able to see dead bodies as far as 3000 metres (3kms) above the ground.

“They have keen vision that enables them to locate their food from about 3000 meters above the ground,” he said.

He said that vultures are good for reducing the spread of disease like rabies spread by dogs, anthrax and tuberculosis (TB).

MAHAKAMA YAAMURU MSHITAKIWA HARBINDER SETHI AKATIBIWE HOSPITALI YA TAIFA YA MUHIMBILI NDANI YA SIKU 14

Harbinder Sethi 

Na Dotto Mwaibale

MAHAKAMA ya Hakimu Mkazi Kisutu imeamuru kwa mara nyingine mshtakiwa Harbinder Sethi akatibiwe katika Hospitali ya Taifa Muhimbili ndani ya siku 14.

Korti imesema iwapo hilo halitatekelezwa, mkuu wa gereza afike mahakamani kujieleza. Sethi yupo mahabusu katika Gereza la Segerea.

Amri hiyo ya mahakama imetolewa baada ya Wakili wa Serikali Mwandamizi, Kishenyi Mutalemwa kudai kesi ilipangwa leo Ijumaa kwa ajili ya kutajwa na upelelezi haujakamilika, hivyo aliomba shauri lipangiwe tarehe nyingine ya kutajwa.

Baada ya maelezo hayo, wakili Joseph Makandege anayemwakilisha Sethi alieleza kuwa kumekuwepo mfululizo wa amri za Mahakama zikiagiza mteja wake akapatiwe matibabu na kufanyiwa uchunguzi Muhimbili.

“Hadi leo asubuhi tuliwasiliana na mteja wetu na kubaini hajapelekwa katika Hospitali ya Taifa ya Muhimbili kama amri za Mahakama zilivyoagiza, hivyo ni rai yetu kwamba kitendo hicho cha kutotekelezwa amri za Mahakama ni ukaidi wa amri halali za Mahakama yako tukufu,” amesema Makandege.

Alisema kwa kuwa upande wa mashtaka umekaidi amri za Mahakama, anaomba itoe adhabu inayostahili.

Makandege alisema kitendo cha upande wa mashtaka cha kutotekeleza amri za Mahakama kinasigana na kukiuka mamlaka aliyopewa Mkurugenzi wa Mashtaka .

“Mkurugenzi wa Mashtaka katika kutekeleza majukumu yake anapaswa kuongozwa na kutenda haki, lengo ni kutogeuza mashtaka ya jinai na mahakama kuwa ni vyombo vya utesaji,” amesema.

Ameomba Mahakama itoe adhabu stahiki kwa kuwa hilo linaonyesha dhahiri kuwa mashtaka yaliyopo ni ya hila yenye lengo la kuwaadhibu washtakiwa na hasa mshtakiwa wa kwanza Sethi kabla hawajahukumiwa.

Wakili Makandege ameiomba Mahakama iitupilie mbali hati ya mashtaka na kuwaachia huru washtakiwa ili Sethi apate wataalamu wa matibabu yake katika hospitali ikiwemo Muhimbili.

Mwendesha Mashtaka Mwandamizi wa Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa (Takukuru), Leonard Swai amedai tatizo limeshajitokeza katika utekelezaji wa amri za Mahakama.

Swai amedai Magereza wamekuwa wakiwatibu wafungwa na mahabusu hata pasipokuwa na amri ya Mahakama.

Alisema kilichojitokeza ni utaratibu wa kumpeleka Sethi katika Hospitali ya Taifa ya Muhimbili.

“Tumejitahidi kuwasiliana na Magereza wapo katika hatua za mwisho, tunaomba muda wa ziada ili tuiwezeshe Magereza kukamilisha utaratibu wa kumpeleka Sethi Muhimbili, hatujakataa tunaomba muda,” amesema Swai.

Hakimu Huruma Shaidi amesema ni lazima amri za Mahakama zifuatwe. Ameahirisha kesi hadi Oktoba 13.

Alisema hadi siku hiyo, Sethi awe ameshapata matibabu na iwapo atakuwa hajapatiwa, mkuu wa gereza alipo afike mahakamani kujieleza.

Katika kesi hiyo, Sethi na James Rugemarila wanakabiliwa na mashtaka 12 ya uhujumu uchumi wakidaiwa kula njama, kujihusisha na mtandao wa uhalifu, kighushi, kutoa nyaraka za kughushi, kujipatia fedha kwa njia za udanganyifu, kutakatisha fedha na kusababisha hasara ya Dola 22,198,544.60 za Marekani na Sh309,461,300,158.27.

Wanadaiwa kati ya Oktoba 18, 2011 na Machi 19, 2014 jijini Dar es Salaam walikula njama katika nchi za Afrika Kusini, Kenya na India ya kujipatia fedha kwa njia ya udanganyifu.

TANZANIA HAINA BUDI KUTUMIA MIFUMO YA KIDIGTALI KUJITANGAZA KIMATAIFA

Wakati dunia ikisherehekea siku ya Utalii Duniani, Jumia Travel imebainisha kwamba matumizi ya tekinolojia za kisasa hususani mtandao wa intaneti una manufaa makubwa katika kuvitangaza vivutio vya kitalii kimataifa.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari wakati alipotembelea nchini Tanzania, Mkuu wa Idara ya Uhusiano wa Umma wa Jumia Travel Kimataifa, Bw. Abdesslam Benzitouni ameweka wazi kwamba Tanzania haina budi kutumia ipasavyo njia zote za kidigitali ikiwemo mitandao ya kijamii kama vile Facebook, Twitter, Youtube na Instagram kutokana na kuwa na idadi kubwa ya watumiaji.

“Intaneti imekuwa na mchango mkubwa kwenye sekta ya utalii na ukarimu hususani kwenye kutoa taarifa. Tofauti na kipindi cha nyuma hivi sasa watu wanaweza kupata taarifa muda wowote na mahali popote walipo bila ya kutembelea moja kwa moja eneo husika. Jumia Travel inazitumia njia zote za mtandaoni kuzionyesha na kuzitangaza hoteli pamoja na vivutio vya kitalii nchini. Tovuti na kurasa za mitandao yetu ya kijamii tuzipatia hoteli tunazoshirikiana nazo fursa kubwa ya kujitangaza na kuonekana mtandaoni ambapo kwa kiasi kikubwa huongeza idadi ya wateja,” alisema Benzitouni.

“Wakati dunia ikisherehekea siku ya Utalii Duniani, bara la Afrika limeshuhudia idadi ya watalii kufikia milioni 58 mwaka 2016. Na idadi hiyo inatarajiwa kuongezeka maradufu ndani ya miaka 15 ijayo na kufikia milioni 130. Mafanikio hayo yamechangiwa na ukuaji wa kasi wa sekta ya usafiri wa anga, ambapo mashirika ya ndani na kimataifa yana mchango mkubwa kwenye kuwasafirisha watalii ndani na nje ya nchi, ” aliongezea Mkuu wa Idara ya Uhusiano wa Umma wa Jumia Travel Kimataifa.

Aliendelea na kufafanua zaidi kwamba kwa Tanzania kutajwa kuwa ni miongoni mwa nchi ambazo zinatembelewa zaidi barani Afrika, sawa na nchi zingine kama vile Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda na Namibia, ni dalili nzuri kwamba utalii unaleta tija kubwa na inaweza kunufaika nao kwa kutumia mbinu tofauti ili kuvutia wageni wa kimataifa zaidi.

“Kupitia ripoti ya Utalii na Ukarimu ambayo Jumia Travel tuliiwasilisha mapema mwaka huu, tuligundua kwamba idadi ya watalii kwa mwaka 2016 iliongezeka kwa 16%. Pia kuongezeka kwa idadi ya watanzania wanaotumia mtandao wa intaneti kunaashiria matumizi ya mifumo mipya ya kidigitali. 

Tunaweza kuitumia katika kuvitangaza vivutio vyetu, kutoa taarifa za kutosha zaidi, pamoja na bei nzuri na zenye ushindani kwenye soko ili kurahisisha shughuli za kitalii. Tafiti zinaonyesha idadi kubwa ya watalii wanaotembelea Afrika wanatokea nchi za bara la Asia zaidi. Kwa mfano, 10% ya Wachina wanaosafiri duniani hutembelea zaidi nchi za Afrika,” alihitimisha Benzitouni.

Kati ya mambo ya msingi ambayo Jumia Travel inajitahidi kuyaangazia kwenye sekta ya utalii na ukarimu nchini Tanzania pamoja na kwingineko ilipo Afrika ni gharama za juu za malazi. Kwa waafrika wengi, malazi yamekuwa ni kati ya changamoto kuu inayokwamisha shughuli za kitalii kwa miaka kadhaa sasa. 

Kulipatia ufumbuzi hilo kampuni hiyo imejizatiti kuhakikisha kwamba inaweka aina zote za malazi kwenye mtandao wao ili yafikiwa kwa urahisi na wateja. Lengo kuu ni kumuwezesha kila mtu aweze kupata huduma ya malazi kwa gharama nafuu licha ya uwezo alionao.