Ministry acts as disease threatens wild animals
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Government pledges to build the capacity of Tawiri following reports of an increase in the incidence of diseases affecting wildlife such as anthrax and rabies
Ngorongoro. The ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has said it will build the capacity of the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri) to fight diseases threatening wild animals.
This follows reports of an increase in the incidence of diseases affecting wildlife, including anthrax and rabies.
Tawiri researcher Ludovick Kazwala said during the commemoration of 60 years of Ngorongoro and Serengeti held here that the increase of diseases is mostly among primates and giraffes.
“There’s ongoing research which has confirmed deaths of primates. But, there’s also increasing skin disease among giraffes at the Ruaha National Park,” he said.
Responding to the findings, the Natural Resources and Tourism minister, Costantine Kanyasu, assured all and sundry that the ministry is bent on boosting thr research.
“The ministry will ensure that all diseases are researched and any disease outbreak will be contained through treatment,” he said.
Acquisition of new facilities will enable Tawiri not to continue depending on foreign research centres as many samples are currently sent to South Africa for definitive laboratory tests.
“We want to equip our own research institutes with labs,” he said.
The outgoing Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) board chairman, Mr George Waitara, said delays in obtaining research findings remain a major challenge in conservation.
Lack of laboratories for wildlife diseases research is delaying mitigations as results always come late.
The Tanapa Commissioner, Allan Kijazi, said the authority will continue to collaborate with research institutes to fight wildlife diseases.
“We will continue to improve the conservation environment. But, we are reminding livestock keepers to treat their domestic animals when they get sick, including dogs,” he said.
