Wildlife census begins in Selous and Mikumi ecosystem

Dar es Salaam. Field work for a new aerial wildlife dry season census in the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem in Tanzania will begins today, Wednesday, 20 September.

The census is led by the Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and will be carried out in collaboration with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, Tanzania National Parks and Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS).

The implementation is part of the ‘Selous Ecosystem Conservation and Development Program’, which is funded by the German Government through KfW German Development Bank.

The count targets large mammals and signs of illegal human activities in the area of the Selous Game Reserve, the Mikumi National Park, the Selous-Niassa corridor and the buffer zones.

The data will be used to inform management decisions, Joint Press Release by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, Tanzania National Parks, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Dar es Salaam, KfW, and Frankfurt Zoological Society.

“The Selous Game Reserve Management Team is pleased to host TAWIRI for the 2017 large mammal census and looks forward to the information it will provide to further guide protection within the Game Reserve,” says Henock Msocha, the Selous Project Manager of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

“We hope the 2017 Selous-Mikumi Large Mammal census will give clarity about the development of the elephant population in Selous,” says Kathryn Doody, project manager of Frankfurt Zoological Society.

The 2013 and 2014 Selous Aerial Surveys had revealed a drastic decline of the Selous elephant population from about 45,000 in 2009 to approximately 15,000 animals in 2014. The surge in poaching had been driven by soaring demand for ivory in Southeast Asia.

As a result, in 2014, the Selous Game Reserve was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. In order to take appropriate action on the ground to protect the ecosystem, it is essential that managers are equipped with accurate information about the large mammals’ populations’ status.

The Government will report the wildlife census data to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee through its “state of conservation report” in February 2018.

A three-day intensive training course has taken place in Arusha and Tarangire National Park before the field work. The observers were selected, and survey crews trained.

Three aircraft will be used, each flying at a height of about 350 feet (ca. 100 metres) above ground at a speed of 175 kilometres per hour. Constant height and speed are essential for consistency of the data.

The survey crews consist of four individuals: the pilot navigates the aircraft following the survey plan. A front seat observer is responsible for recording metadata including the beginning and end points of each transect, flight height, predominant vegetation, presence of water and extent of burnt areas. The counting is performed by two rear seat observers looking out the left and right rear windows.