THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

MINISTRY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND TOURISM

Speech by the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hon. Lazaro S.
Nyalandu, for the Announcement of the Tanzania 2014 Elephant Census Results
Arusha, Tanzania
1/6/2015
Excellences,
Ladies and gentlemen:
Thank you for joining me for this important conservation update. Since February
2014, when President Dr. Jakaya Kikwete announced to the World at the London
Conference that Tanzania would put her Ivory stockpiles beyond economic use, I
pledged transparency and collaboration with our conservation partners worldwide to
defeat poaching and set forth our new elephants recovery targets.
Immediately after I was appointed the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism in
February 2014, I ordered an immediate total countrywide Aerial Census Survey for
Elephants starting in May to November 2014.
My objectives were: 71144082799081
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

To inform the country and the world of valid data regarding elephants
population in Tanzania, and to do so in the most transparent way possible.
To understand the scale of poaching in key conservation ecosystems in the
country.
To come up with the most effective anti poaching intervention strategy based
on the information gathered from the survey.

The survey was jointly conducted by Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI),
Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and Vulcan Inc., and it covered an area of 268,
692 square kilometers, which is 28.3% of the entire country landmass.
The surveyed ecosystems were the Serengeti, Tarangire- Manyara, Katavi-Rukwa,
Burigi-Biharamulo, Malagarasi-Muyovosi, Selous-Mikumi and Ruaha-Rungwa,
Mkomazi and Saadani National Parks.
As we announce the elephant census data for 2014, the results are a mixed bag - some
increase,
a
troubling
decrease,
and
elsewhere
steady.
Selous Game Reserve, the worlds largest conserved area covering about 55,000 sq.
km within Selous-Mikumi ecosystem saw a major decline in 2013. However, I am
glad to inform the world that the numbers have increased from 13,000 in 2013 Survey
to 15,217 in 2014 survey. An increase of over 2,000 is credited to improved
management of the reserve as well as ongoing support received from Conservation
partners.
Serengeti ecosystem, which is the World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve of

mankind saw an impressive 98% increase of elephant population, up from 3,068 in

2009 to 6,087 elephants in 2014. My Ministry is now battling with an increased
human-wildlife conflict in communities surrounding the Serengeti National Parks, as
elephants in huge numbers are increasingly roaming outside the protected area into
the adjacent villages. We acknowledge the Serengeti National Park Management,
under Chief Park Warden (CPW) William Mwakilema, and Tanapa Director General,
Dr. Allan Kijazi for the job well done. We further appreciate the long standing
support offered by FZS within the Serengeti National Park, as well as the protection
provided by the Paul Tudor Jones at Grumeti Reserve, and the Friedkin Conservation
Group at Maswa Game Reserve.
The Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem has seen an increase of 64%, up from 2,561
elephants in 2009 to 4,202 elephants in 2014. Tarangire National Park has the highest
elephant population density anywhere in the world, and I am calling on international
development and conservation partners to rise to the challenge to help protect
Tarangire from threats posed by poachers.
I am equally pleased to announce an increase of 108% at Rubondo Island National
Park, up from 49 elephants in 2009 to 102 elephants in 2014.
Similarly, Arusha National Park saw 100% increase from 100 elephants to 200
elephants in the same period.
Katavi-Rukwa Ecosystem has remained stable with the population of 6,396 elephants
in
the
same
period.
Nevertheless, I am very concerned and troubled with the declines of elephants in
other ecosystems.
Malagarasi-Muyovosi saw 81% decline from 15,198 in 2009 to 2,953 elephants in
2014.
Kilimanjaro National Parks saw 77.8% decline from 450 elephants in 2009 to 100
elephants in 2014.
Ruaha-Rungwa saw a decline from estimated 20,000 in 2013 to 8,272 in
2014. Troubling news. My ministry is actively engaged to find out what happened to
these elephants. Were they killed or did they move out of the observed area? Usually
when such a large animal reduction is observed, there are a comparable number of
carcasses
also
observed.
That
was
not
the
case
here.
In any case this is troubling news and we are doing our best to get the bottom of this
and
take
corrective
actions.
We need actions not words. Since I have taken charge of the Ministry in 2014, I have
embarked on a most comprehensive / participatory national campaigns to holistically
address the scourge of poaching and advance wildlife conservation with community
buy
in.
This includes:

Immediate actions on the ground - hiring of 500 more rangers.

Establishing new independent self reliant institutions to address wildlife
conservation in our game reserves-TAWA
National integrated law enforcement strategy with inter ministerial
Wildlife/Environmental Crime Task Force led by Home Ministry, Deputy
Commissioner of Police for Special Operations with representation from
Wildlife and Forestry department of MNRT, Minerals, Explosives
departments and Fisheries Enforcement from MLFD.
Public outreach effort with the religious and conservation alliance engaging
religious leaders from all faiths and all corners of the country, community and
parks development through enhanced tourism development
World Bank - Southern Tanzania Tourism Development Initiative to be
launched on June 8 in Mbeya.
Regional coordination such as the Arusha Declaration signed in November
2014
International coordination such as signing of Selous- Niassa Agreement signed
in Maputo May 2015, and another with Zambia -Tanzania on conservation of
Miombo Woodland.
We have invited FZS to work with us in Selous as well as in Ruaha.
We have asked WCS and FZS to help support and stabilize Ruaha-Rungwa
ecosystem.
We have asked African Parks to join us by helping to stabilize and protect
Burigi-Biharamulo ecosystem.
We have established the first elephant orphanage in Tanzania, Ivory Orphans
in Arusha, which will be launched today after the announcement of the Census
results.
We shall have the naming ceremony of baby elephants which will be
officiated by President, Dr. Jakaya Kikwete
I ask the conservation partners world wide to support these efforts and serve
Tanzania elephants.

Fighting poaching is a decades long struggle. We all need to partner - public and
private, government and international partners and local and global conservation
organizations.
I strongly believe that the Ministry and Tanzania wildlife is in better hands and better
shape than when I took charge as a minister. I want to particularly thank key partners
that have helped me make this happen. These include International Conservation
Caucus Foundation (ICCF), FZS, Howard Buffet Foundation (HBF), Grumeti Fund,
AWF, Lusaka Agreement Task Force, WCS, German and US embassies, China,
Finland, EU, most importantly my team including my Permanent Secretary,
TANAPA, TAWA, NCAA, religious leaders, the parliament, and in particular the
President of the United Republic of Tanzania.