In the vast grasslands of Amboseli Wildlife Park, conservationists are raising alarms over a looming threat to Kenya’s elephants – a result of licensed hunters operating across the border in Tanzania.
Unlike Kenya, which relies solely on wildlife safaris for revenue, Tanzania permits some trophy hunting licenses to affluent sport hunters annually.
The management of elephant herds differs markedly between these two East African neighbors.
Tanzania’s approach aligns with several southern African nations like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, where limited trophy hunting is allowed.
Conversely, Kenya maintains a strict policy of zero tolerance towards wildlife hunting or ivory trade, mirroring the stance of countries like Gabon.
In light of recent events, conservationists and Kenyan officials are advocating for Tanzania to confine trophy hunting activities to its interior regions, aiming to safeguard Kenyan elephants following the shooting of three elephants across the border in recent months.
“It is not appropriate to authorize trophy hunting near the Kenyan border,” remarked Joseph Ole Lenku, the governor of Kenya’s Kajiado county, which heavily relies on tourism.
Tanzania’s wildlife regulatory body and government have refrained from offering any comments on the matter.
The inciting incident occurred last September when licensed hunters, situated approximately 23 km (14 miles) inside the Tanzanian border, shot an elephant boasting tusks weighing 50 kg (110 lb) each.
This event marked a breach of an unwritten agreement to refrain from hunting elephants near the Kenyan border.
This informal moratorium was instituted in 1995 after public outcry following the shooting of four Kenyan elephants on the Tanzanian side in 1994.
However, the prohibition lacked detailed regulations.
Since the first incident in September, two more elephants, all belonging to a group known as “super-tuskers” due to their massive tusks, have been targeted, conservationists reported.
“The Amboseli bloodline of tuskers is probably one of the best in the world, so from a genetics perspective, it is really important,” highlighted Richard Bonham, co-founder and executive chairman of Big Life Foundation in Kenya, a conservation group.
Bonham stressed the significance of these elephants from a tourism standpoint, as visitors from across the globe flock to Amboseli annually to witness these majestic creatures.
Tourism stands as one of Kenya’s primary foreign exchange earners, directly and indirectly employing millions of individuals.
The conservation community is now urging Tanzania to reimpose the moratorium on trophy hunting, supplemented with clearer regulations encompassing lands within 40 km (25 miles) of the Kenyan border.
Tanzania levies a fee ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 for a trophy hunting license, with proceeds shared between the government and local communities in conservation areas.
Conservationists emphasized that their call is not for a complete ban on hunting throughout Tanzania but rather for the protection of invaluable Kenyan tuskers that traverse the border.
“The issue lies in the fact that the hunted elephants were among the very few with such substantial ivory,” they underscored.
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