WILDLIFE THREAT TO CHILDREN'S GOING TO AND FROM SCHOOL IN BURUNGE WMA

 

TAWA's Assistant Conservation Commissioner, Privatus Kasisi addressing some of the issues to the villagers 

Manyara Regional Police Commander George Katabazi taking some questions from the villagers 

Some of the villagers listening to the TAWA's Assistant Conservation Commissioner, Privatus Kasisi

By: Special reporter, Babati 

Residents living in Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BURUNGE WMA) in Babati District, Manyara Region, have requested the Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) to help them to remove Hyenas, Lions, and Elephants from their homes, which have been causing children to be unable to go to school for fear of losing their lives and that kind of animals have been eating their crops and livestock.

Burunge WMA area is located between the Tarangire National Park and the Manyara National Park, where many areas are wildlife corridors.

In a meeting called by TAWA in collaboration with the police force, leaders of village governments, and traditional leaders in the area, they explained that if possible measures are to be taken, they can educate children and do other economic activities.

The chairman of Sarawe Village, Joseph Bura, and the Chairman of Sangaiwe Village, Marian Mwanso, said that wild animals had become a big problem for them, and the efforts of the Villages to get rid of them have stalled due to their large increase in people's residences.

"These days we have to accompany children to school in the morning for fear of hyenas and lions. For how long will this issue continue?" Asked Bura.

On his part, Mwanso said that the Elephants had become a nuisance because they were eating the people’s crops, and now they could not farm where he personally more than five temples had been eaten.

Speaking in that, TAWA's Assistant Conservation Commissioner, Privatus Kasisi, said that the Authority, in collaboration with other authorities including the National Parks Agency (TANAPA), the Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), the police force, and tourism investors in the area, Chemchem association will try to solve those problems that facing them.

He said TAWA will endeavor to increase patrol cars in the area. Still, he also wanted the people to stop doing humanitarian activities, such as cultivating, building, and bringing livestock into protected areas, which caused animals to leave the sanctuary and invade those areas.

However, he said that to build the capacity of youth groups to prevent wild animals, he instructed the leadership of BURUNGE WMA to go to the villages to obtain data on the needs of equipment as an investor who does tourism and conservation activities in the area, Chem Chem, is ready to provide equipment such as Torches and vuvuzelas that aid in chasing animals. Villagers requested mobile phones to give information quickly to the human-wildlife mitigation officials without delay when crop raiding and other abnormal activities occur. 

The Manyara Regional Police Commander, George Katabazi, said the Police would continue to cooperate with TAWA and many agencies to ensure the safety of the people and to ask the communities to cease all acts of poaching and other unlawful activities.

"We will do our best to prevent crime of all sorts  and also work with TAWA to prevent wildlife crimes," he said.

This meeting is a part of meetings to resolve conflicts between wildlife and humans and fight to prevent poaching incidents in the area.