Worldwide, elephants and rhinos are classified as vulnerable and endangered. However, in Tanzania, both animals’ populations are increasing significantly. All thanks to a task force Tanzania formed to combat wildlife poaching.

Populations Rising

The government of Tanzania has declared the official numbers of the rising population of the elephants and rhinos. Since 2014 elephants have increased in population from 43,330 to over 60,000. Since 2015 rhinos have increased from only 15 to 167.

Credit: Gary Bembridge

Sky News reported a statement from the country’s government about the figures prior to 2014. In 2009, the official number of elephants in Tanzania was 110,000 but by 2014, poachers killed off more than half of the population.

The President’s office claims that in 2015 the rhino population was just 15 rhinos. That’s a very low number. However, the Independent reported that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) had a different number. CITES documented the rhino population was at 133 rhinos at that time. Either way, the rhino population is slowly increasing nonetheless. This is good.

What Is Poaching?

In 2016 Tanzania formed a task force to combat wildlife poaching. This task force is the reason why the populations of these animals are rising.

Wildlife poaching is the illegal killing of wild animals. Elephants are typically poached for their ivory tusks but sometimes their bodies are used for meat. Ivory tusks are used for jewellery or decor. While rhinos are poached for their horns. Rhino horns are used for Chinese medicine and as a status symbol. Additionally, sometimes there are the “trophy hunters,” which is when the hunter takes a proud photo next to the corpse then cuts the head off the poor animal and hangs it on their wall for display.

Image from Africa Trophy Hunting

The Ivory Queen

According to NPR, one of the big arrests was the infamous Chinese ivory trafficker that goes by the name of the “Ivory Queen.” The Ivory Queen was a major link between poachers in East African countries (including Tanzania) and ivory purchasers in China for more than a decade. Between 2000 and 2004 alone, she was responsible for smuggling over 800 pieces of Ivory to China. The Tanzanian government gave her a 15-year jail sentence.

Protection Awareness

Even with the elephants and rhino populations rising, Mark Jones, leader of Born Free Foundation, is far-sighted. He is happy with the government’s figures but takes them with a pinch of salt. Jones believes there is still much work to be done to properly protect the rhinos and elephants in Tanzania.

“This sounds like very good news but we should view these figures with caution until there’s independent verification – there’s no way that has occurred through breeding and protection alone. [Rhinos] mature late, have long gestation periods and don’t produce many young. Both species take a long time biologically to reproduce. Elephants are intelligent — they move across national borders to where they are safer, so if there’s been a clampdown on poaching in Tanzania, it may be that some have moved in.”

However, the government’s efforts should be acknowledged. Every new-born of majestic creatures is now getting extra protection due to these efforts. Hopefully, elephant and rhino populations in Tanzania will continue to rise.

This article (Tanzania Anti-Poaching Task Force Helps Elephant & Rhino Populations Increase) was originally created for Intelligent Living and is published here under Creative Commons.

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