An elephant forages at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Feb. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Hao)
Tanzanian authorities have announced short-term and long-term measures aimed at controlling wild animals that stray from protected areas and wreak havoc on villages.
DAR ES SALAAM, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday announced short-term and long-term measures aimed at controlling wild animals that stray from protected areas and wreak havoc on villages.
The wild animals, including elephants, lions and hippos, are reported to invade villages in at least the country's 53 districts out of 134 districts, said Pindi Chana, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism.
A lion rests on a tree at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Feb. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Hao)
Chana said in a statement that the short-term measures included the creation of 11 centers that will be used by game rangers in helping to control the stray wild animals and the release of toll-free telephone numbers for reporting animals that stray from protected areas.
The statement said long-term measures included procurement of helicopters for aerial patrols and beefing up ground patrols by game rangers.
The statement mentioned reasons behind the straying of the wild animals from their protected areas as climate change that has caused the drying up of water sources and sometimes floods.
Hippos are seen at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Feb. 10, 2022. (Photo by Cao Jingmin/Xinhua)
The statement mentioned other reasons as decreased pasture caused by invasive weeds, invasion in protected areas by livestock keepers and increase in human activities, including encroachment of animal corridors.
The statement added that the government is also taking steps aimed at controlling crocodiles that attack people in lakes and rivers.
A crocodile is seen in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Feb. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Hao)
According to the statement, measures to control the crocodiles include the issuance of permits for harvesting them. ■
