The Contribution of Research in Combating Wildlife Poaching in Tanzania: Review of Existing Literature

Abstract

Conservation challenges such as human population growth, land use changes, human-wildlife conflicts, poaching, encroachment, wildlife diseases and pollution, among others, have grown in recent decades. Their solutions and policy responses require scientific approaches based on informed decisions. This chapter seeks to inform the contribution of research in addressing wildlife poaching in Tanzania, one of the serious management challenges facing the wildlife sector in the country. It reviews a number of publications to establish contribution of numerous scientific studies on wildlife poaching conducted in Tanzania. The review identifies different ways in which research can contribute in combating the problem-including establishing status and trends of poaching, understanding the drivers and effects of poaching, inspiring interventions at different levels and recommending the appropriate policy actions and strategies.

Protected Areas and Rural Livelihood: An overview of the Mediating role of Wildlife Tourism

“…Poaching pressure escalated during the 1970s and 1980s as a result of the rising demand for rhino horn in Asia and the Middle East. Economic and political instability in a number of rhino range states gave commercial poachers the freedom to hunt rhino with little chance of being caught (Kideghesho, 2016b;2019;Lopes, 2014). The IUCN report shows further that the population of black rhinos, estimated at 100,000 individuals in 1960s, drastically declined to reach a record low of 2,410 in 1995, but subsequently doubled by the end of 2010 as a result of conservation efforts (IUCN, 2012).…”

Will Tanzania’s Wildlife Sector Survive the COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…Wildlife research plays a crucial role in providing information essential for addressing the conservation challenges and for guiding the decision-making process (Corlett et al, 2020;Kideghesho, 2019). Tanzania's exceptional and diverse wildlife species and habitats attract many wildlife researchers (both local and foreign) to undertake scientific studies under different themes.…”

“…Hostile human-wildlife interactions and poor relations between conservation authorities and local communities present another challenge to conservation of wildlife (Kideghesho et al., 2007; Mayengo et al., 2017; Ntalwila et al., 2017). Efforts to address these challenges have been apparent – through strategies such as the establishment of wildlife protected areas, land use planning, continual support of research and monitoring activities, effective law enforcement, conservation education and benefit sharing with local communities (Kideghesho, 2020). However, the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating these challenges and diluting the efficacy of the strategies adopted in the past.…”

“…One of the projects likely to suffer is the protected areas which have recently been upgraded to higher categories. These include the six gazetted national parks – namely Burigi-Chato (4,702 km 2 ), Nyerere (30,893 km 2 ), Kigosi (7,460 km 2 ), River Ugalla (3,863 km 2 ), Ibanda-Kyerwa (294 km 2 ) and Rumanyika-Karagwe (255 km 2 ) (Kideghesho, 2020). Furthermore, eight protected areas of lower categories are in the final stages to be upgraded to game reserves.…”