Five years ago it looked as though the country’s great Serengeti plains would be bled dry. From 2009 to 2014 Tanzania lost more than 65,000 of its 110,000 elephants to poachers, while there were only 15 rhinos left in 2014, leading experts to warn that both species would disappear within a decade.
However, over the past five years the big game population has increased. There are now 60,000 elephants and 167 rhinos, according to the Tanzanian presidency.
Simply because I don’t believe a word Magufuli says. Harsh perhaps but there it is.
How do you get from 15 to 167 rhinos in 5 years. Rhino gestation period of 16 months.
@BoM4: ship them in from other countries?
Or maybe this isn’t a government success story at all, but rather a capitalism success story:
https://www.huntinafrica.com/tanzania-hunting-areas
BoM4, Many of the South African game reserves have rhino relocation programmes.
rhino fecundicity should surprise noone, the chinese have known it for thousands of years
Hunting is the best thing for the animals. It gives them value to the locals. Otherwise, elephants and rhinos are pests.
@Gamecock. Hunting or farming will increase numbers. Just like at the numbers of cattle.
When some people look at elephants they see a magnificent beast which should be protected.
I just see lots of chess sets and four umbrella stands.
You get something in return for farming cattle.
Gamecock
Lots of useful bits to an elephant.
It was “On the Hour” that exposed the terrible trafficking of elephant hides as lorry canvas covers.
You get to take $100,000s a time from wealthy Americans by selling big game hunting licences.
Myths: AGW, Gender/Race Pay Gap, Poverty in UK…
The Gender Pay Gap – Men aren’t paid enough
and
women who don’t whine about pay, sexism etc
Hopkins and Widders nailed it.