Conservation Efforts Employed In Conserving National Parks : Tanzania is well-known as an off-the-beaten-track wildlife destination for wildlife lovers. The country is famous for the Great Migration, the Big Five, and various plants and animals.
The wildlife is distributed in various national parks and game reserves nationwide. With much devotion to protecting the Mother Nature of the earth, Tanzania has almost 40% of its land as protected areas.
Tanzania has made itself an interesting hotspot for wildlife explorers as it has dedicated most of its land as “protected areas,” including 22 national parks, 32 game reserves, 2 controlled areas, and 1 conservation area.
Keeping in mind that the wildlife ecosystem is fragile, Tanzania wildlife and forest reserve authorities have been employing various ways to protect wildlife and nature. In this article, we have compiled a list of various ways used to preserve wildlife and nature in various national parks in Tanzania.
Conservation efforts
To maintain the conservation status of wildlife, landscape, and vegetation, Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), employs conservation efforts in different ways. All these are done to make Tanzania an exceptional tourist destination for safari-goers.
There are various conservation efforts employed in Tanzanian national parks. Such efforts aim at preserving the fragile wildlife ecosystems in protected areas.
Setting boundaries between human settlement and wildlife
Much are Tanzanian land is conserved as protected areas. These areas are protected from human settlement by boundaries. Human activities are prohibited in protected areas. For instance, grazing is restricted in national parks.
Protecting wildlife and forest resources
TANAPA employs armed rangers to protect wildlife and forest resources. Such resources are protected from human disturbing activities, such as hunting and cutting of trees. The rangers arrest anyone involved in illegal businesses like poaching, hunting, charcoal making, and other activities.
Monitoring endangered species
Endangered animal species are close to extinction if nothing is being done to protect them. Tanzania has employed much effort in protecting endangered animal species. All these efforts are made to Tanzania a thriving wildlife destination for every safari-goer.
Black rhinos and African wild dogs are among the endangered animal species. The black rhinos are monitored in Serengeti National Park, especially in the Moru Kopjes. Armed ranger protects them 24/7 from poachers looking for their precious horns.
Moreover, Mkomazi National Park has a rhino sanctuary where black rhinos are monitored. African wild dogs are also monitored at Mkomazi sanctuary. There are many conservation efforts employed in various parks to preserve wildlife.
Other conservation efforts
There are some activities that TANAPA prohibits to be done in the national parks. These are aimed at protecting wildlife and nature. Here are a few of them:
Off-road driving
While you are in a public national park, always drive through a designated trail. Do not go off the road. Why? Well, public national parks like Serengeti National Park usually receive a lot of visitors per day. If all visitors will drive recklessly off the road, the vehicles will dry out the pasture and make the place drier.
Off-road driving disrupts animals and plant cover. So, always avoid going off the road when driving in the wild. If you go off the trail, you will be fined hundreds of dollars.
Night game drives
Some visitors will like the idea of going for a game drive after dusk. While the idea is good in several parks in Tanzania, it is prohibited in some fragile ecosystems like Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The night is the perfect time for animals to relax. Having multiple cars roaming in the night is not a good idea. The activity disrupts resting animals and causes deaths of small animals and insects and that is why it is highly monitored and usually organized under special guidelines.
What to avoid doing as a nature lover
Apart from the efforts employed by authorities in preserving nature, we believe a client can also contribute to the conservation of wildlife. Here are a few things you as a wildlife viewer can avoid doing to preserve nature.
Taking flashy photographs
Switch off the flash while taking photographs. A flash usually alerts animals and makes them scared. It is considered disruptive and inappropriate to use flashes while taking photos.
Taking wild animals as souvenirs
As you explore wildlife in the wild, don’t take wild animals as souvenirs. This is prohibited by the park authorities. As a nature lover also, we recommend you to not disturb the ecosystem. Taking wild animals out of the park is some sort of disturbance.
Littering
As a nature enthusiast, managing waste is one of the things to consider when viewing nature. Do not litter the wild as this would result in disruption of nature. Our vehicle has a litterbin where you can throw all the trash in it.
At Focus East Africa Safaris, we are committed to making our visitors thrilled by the natural beauty of Tanzania. We are very concerned with the sustainability of wildlife ecosystems. We are therefore good observers of the rules and regulations set by tourism and parks authorities. Having a safari with Focus East Africa Toursis what we call sustainable travel. Book a trip with us and enjoy the wonders.
