Protecting Serengeti

The key to success in apprehending poachers is coordination. With an area of close to 15,000 square kilometres and large parts of the National Park bordering communal land, not other protected areas as buffer zones, Park surveillance alone is a major challenge. A central operations room, centrally based in Park’s headquarters in Seronera and staffed 24/7 coordinates day-to-day anti-poaching and monitoring missions, including dispatching patrols, planning aerial surveillance flights and responding to detected threats and incoming intelligence.

A strong and armed presence in the Park is the first line in apprehending poachers. Rangers undergo intense training before they patrol Serengeti. Off-road vehicles are vital to cover the large distances. Frankfurt Zoological Society upgraded the anti-poaching vehicle fleet and provides ongoing maintenance and repair to keep the patrols on – and, in case of Serengeti, off the roads.

In conservation, aircraft are essential for surveying large and remote areas, detecting threats, and guiding reaction forces on the ground. Furthermore, wildlife censuses and habitat monitoring is carried out by plane. In Serengeti, Frankfurt Zoological Society is providing aerial support with a dedicated spotter plane, an Aviat Husky, and a Cessna 182 for logistical support.

The story of the black rhinos of Serengeti is a tragedy, but there is also the element of hope and lots of action. Black rhinos are a ‘Critically Endangered’ species. Poachers, on the hunt for rhino horn, had killed all but about 2400 rhinos in 1995. In Serengeti, there were two survivors: two females who were later joined by a bull from the Ngorongoro crater and animals that were re-introduced to the Serengeti ecosystem. The Serengeti population is growing as a consequence of intense protection efforts: A special ranger unit, outlook posts, collaring and enhanced digital communication. Frankfurt Zoological Society is providing equipment and rations for the rhino monitoring teams.

The most prevalent form of poaching in Serengeti is snaring. Frankfurt Zoological Society has helped involving tour operators as stakeholders and a source of sustainable funding for the Serengeti De-Snaring Programme. Two teams, each consisting of a retired TANAPA ranger as team leader, an active TANAPA ranger to provide security and ex-poachers recruited from villages nearby, use their experience to collect snares and find the poachers’ camps. The goal is to make snaring unattractive and the teams have been very successful so far and collected thousands of snares before they could do harm, confiscated tons of poached meat and even saved animals from the deadly traps.

A lot can be done to secure the Serengeti ecosystem, but winning over the people living in the nearby villages will prove vital for its future. The local communities often rely on natural resources for their livelihoods but do not receive sufficient benefits from conservation. Frankfurt Zoological Society explores pathways both for protection of natural resources and conservation-compatible livelihood opportunities.