The Government has stepped up measures to protect residents and their property from attacks and crop destruction by elephants and other dangerous wildlife in Itilima District, Simiyu Region.
Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hamad Hassan Chande said the measures include deploying drones to monitor wildlife movements, installing tracking devices on elephant herds and increasing the number of wildlife officers in areas experiencing frequent human-wildlife conflicts.
Mr Chande said the Government was particularly concerned about elephants entering residential areas and farms, threatening lives and destroying crops, and was taking steps to improve the speed at which wildlife authorities respond to such incidents.
He made the remarks in Itilima during Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba’s visit to listen to residents’ concerns and address challenges facing communities in different parts of the country.
According to Mr Chande, tracking devices have already been fitted to elephant herds numbering more than eight to help authorities establish their movements and direction and take preventive action before they reach populated areas.
The ministry is also increasing the number of wildlife officers and plans to establish two wildlife posts in villages to enable officers to respond more quickly when dangerous animals enter residential or farming areas.
“These measures are intended to ensure that wildlife officers can intervene before elephants cause harm to people or destroy their property,” Mr Chande said.
The Government is also conducting public education programmes to help communities understand how to respond when they encounter dangerous or destructive wildlife, particularly elephants.
Mr Chande said three community groups comprising 52 people had been established to work with wildlife authorities in addressing human-wildlife conflicts.
The groups are expected to strengthen cooperation between communities and conservation authorities, particularly in reporting wildlife movements and responding to threats.
The deputy minister also said the Government was processing compensation claims from Itilima residents who had suffered losses as a result of wildlife attacks and destruction.
He said some claims had already been paid, while others were at different stages of processing.
The measures come amid persistent concerns in areas bordering wildlife habitats, where elephants can destroy crops and threaten residents, putting pressure on both communities and authorities to find lasting ways of reducing human-wildlife conflict.