Tanzania's conservation efforts see rise in populations of elephants, rhinos and lions

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - Tanzania's conservation efforts ary paying off as the populations of elephants, rhinos, lions and other wild animals go up, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Mohamed Mchengerwa said Friday.

Mchengerwa told parliament in the capital, Dodoma, that enhanced conservation efforts have contributed to a rise in the number of elephants from 43,330 in 2014 to 60,000 in 2023, making Tanzania a third country in Africa with a large population of elephants.

He also attributed the increase in wild animals' populations to the progress made in curbing poaching.

"Between July 2022 and April 2023 there had been no reported poaching of the country's wildlife," Mchengerwa said.

Presenting his ministry's budget estimates for the 2023/2024 financial year, Mchengerwa said the number of black rhinos rose from 163 in 2019 to 238 in 2022.

He said the number of rhinos recorded in 2022 surpassed the target set in the National Rhino Conservation Strategy of having 205 rhinos by December 2023.

The minister said Tanzania has been leading in the world in conserving lions and giraffes, adding that the country now has 14,912 lions and 24,000 giraffes. - XINHUA