Countering Illegal Wildlife Trafficking in Tanzania

Tanzania once had one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. Tragically, industrial-scale elephant poaching wiped out approximately 60% of Tanzania’s elephant population over a 5-year period between 2009 and 2014. A multi-agency unit was pivotal in turning the tide on elephant poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking of ivory in Tanzania, enabling elephant numbers to stabilize and slowly start increasing again. Unfortunately, the recent knock on effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, such as reduced tourism revenue loss and associated adverse socio-economic impacts, has enabled a climate ripe for illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking of key species such as elephant, lion and rhino, should law enforcement efforts not continue at a high level.

Funding from Fondation Segré will help to bolster intelligence-based law enforcement undertaken by the Tanzanian Government to disrupt and arrest members of syndicates involved in illegal wildlife trafficking and ensure appropriate prosecution.