A ban on elephant hunting has collapsed, or maybe it never existed. In recent months, five bulls from the area around a Kenyan wildlife reserve have been shot and killed in Tanzania. The countries have very different conservation strategies.
On the lush, rolling savannas that connect northern Tanzania to Amboseli National Park in Kenya, elephants move freely in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tourists in open-sided 4x4s on the Kenyan side pose no threat to the animals. However, just across the border in Tanzania, there are people pointing guns, not cameras.
Since September, five bull elephants from a population centered around Amboseli have been shot and killed in the Tanzanian part of this wildlife corridor, most likely by trophy hunters. Some of them were super tuskers, with tusks so long that they touched the ground. This rapid increase in killings hasn’t been seen in the area since the mid-1990s. Conservationists believe it indicates a breakdown of an unspoken agreement between the two countries that banned hunting in the border zone.
This situation sheds light on the challenges faced by neighboring countries in aligning different approaches to managing their shared wildlife heritage. Kenya prohibits hunting and relies on revenue from wildlife sightseeing. On the other hand, Tanzania allows wealthy tourists to hunt big game, in addition to wildlife spotting safaris being a significant part of its economy.
Cynthia Moss, an American zoologist and director of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, expressed her heartbreak over the situation. She has been monitoring the roughly 2,000 elephants in the Amboseli herd, including about 10 super tuskers. Moss emphasized her personal connection to these elephants and their trusting nature.
The recent killings have raised concerns about the effectiveness of conservation efforts and the need for better coordination between countries to protect the wildlife that knows no borders. It is essential for both Kenya and Tanzania to work together to ensure the survival of these majestic animals and prevent further loss due to hunting activities.
