Protection of the endangered rhinos at the Serengeti National Park against poachers will be strengthened with the use of digital gadgets.
The
special devices will also assist in tracking down the lost animals,
according to the country representative of the Frankfurt Zoological
Society (FZS) Gerald Bigurube.
He
told reporters over the weekend that the Sh.253 million project for
which FZS is involved in its implementation, was one of its kind in
Africa.
The funds were
released by Friedkin Conservation Fund (FCF), an organization involved
in conservation and tourist hunting projects in various parts of the
country.
Mr. Bigurube
said already 21 digital VHF gadgets have been fitted on the bodies of
the rhinos, which are hunted for their horns and that additional devices
will be availed later this year.
"The
aim of the project is to make sure rhinos are well protected from being
felled down by the poachers", he said, adding that elephants, also
hunted for their ivory, would benefit in later days.
In
order to ensure the effective use of the electronic gadgets, some
wildlife officers have been set to the Netherlands to train on how to
use the technology.
The
equipment which will also track down the rhinos wherever they are - in
their hideout or lost - use the Lora information technology system.
The
Serengeti Chief Park Warden William Mwakilema lauded the initiative,
saying protection of the rhinos was vital in sustaining tourism
attractions in the area.
Other
institutions involved include the Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa), the
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri) and the Natural Resources and Tourism
ministry.
Tawiri's
principal wildlife researcher Dr. Edward Kohi said the techonology was
effective in protecting threatened animals such as the rhinos and the
elephants and that it was applied in some other countries across the
world.
Post a Comment