Germany launches anti-poaching command center in Tanzania's Serengeti

Visiting German President Joachim Gauck on Thursday officially commissioned an anti-poaching command center at the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania's world heritage site and recently proclaimed the 7th worldwide wonder.

The construction of the center was made possible under technical and financial support from the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), a German philanthropic conservation organization.

Gerald Bigurube, FZS representative in Tanzania, said the center will be operated by the Tanzania National Parks which manages 16 national parks in the east African country, including the Serengeti.

Germany's support for anti-poaching activities dates back to Tanzania's pre-independence days when it initiated major conservation programs in the country, including the creation of the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

In January 2015, the U.S. and Germany donated anti-poaching field facilities worth millions of U.S. dollars to the Selous Game Reserve, one of the largest faunal reserves of the world located in the south of Tanzania.

Ambassadors from both countries based in Tanzania handed over the equipment, including small and large tents, torches, maps, binoculars, cameras, uniforms and boots, to Tanzania's Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Lazaro Nyalandu. Endi