DAILY NEWS Reporter, 27th November 2009 @ 11:09, Total Comments: 3, Hits: 963
SEVENTY people have been arrested during a special anti-poaching operation dubbed 'Operation Kipepeo' (Operation Butterfly), launched by the government within and around Selous Game Reserve.
Speaking at a press conference this noon, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Mrs Shamsa Mwangunga said that the arrested people were caught ferrying 12 elephant trophies and 16 hippopotamus trophies and one elephant carcass.
Mrs Mwangunga said that 153 soldiers were guarding the game reserve, in the operation which started on November 11 this year.
Sixty among them are from Tanzania Police Force while the rest are from the wildlife department.
The operation is being conducted at Matambwe East Zone, Msolwa and Ilonga South Zone, Kingupira and Miguruwe North Zone, Liwale and Kalulu South Zone and Likuyu-seka Northern South Zone.
She said that the operation has been established due to increasing cases of poaching in Selous Game Reserve.
Since the operation started, various weapons such as rifles, semi- automatic machine guns, 114 bullets and other weapons have been seized.
The minister added that many animal carcasses were found in the forest, showing that many animals died due to drought.
It was also observed that nearby fishermen tents were being used by poachers as their hideouts.
"There are also a large number of residents at Kilwa, Liwale, Morogoro and Ifakara who own weapons illegally and some of the weapons are hired by poachers", explained Mrs Mwangunga.
Ms Mwangunga said that the government was planning to issue education on the importance of environmental maintenance and animal protection in order to reduce poaching incidents.
It has also announced an award of 1,000,000/- to a person who will enable the government arrest poachers.
She added that the government was also planning the establishment of the same operations in other places where poaching is rampant.
Total Comments on the above stories (3)
Comment
The government should also through eyes to the northern circuit, Arusha and manyara, most of open areas and wildlife corridors are left behind without intensive protection while these are very important areas for the survival of our protected areas,for instance Manyara ranch is wildlife corridor which connect manyara and tarangire national parks,wildlife(wildebeests and zebra in particular) move from tarangire soon before rainset cross manyara ranch to manyara national park up to serengeti national park and masai mara in Kenya for breeding,and there after follow the same path back to tarangire during rain season..So you can see how these areas are important for surviving of our protected areas.But recently poachers come in between and try to make our protected areas as islands, with Elephants be most vulnerable, I suggest the next operation kipepeo to be conducted in that circuit which is believed to have more abundance and variability of wildlife than any area in East Africa, and much concentration should be given in those open areas and wildlife corridors
Comment
Good work and must be sustained.
Comment
haha good thing they got caught
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