Feature: Grazing threatening Tanzania's Serengeti national park

Grazing is prohibited in Tanzania's national parks and other protected areas, but in recent years, pastoralists have been taking cattle into the wildlife sanctuaries, the situation that gives conservators hectic time.

Serengeti national park is one of the Tanzania's conservancies which are under pressure caused by pastoralists, who deliberately take cattle into the park.

The park's chief warden William Mwakilema said increasing number of livestock getting into the conservancy is threatening the sustainability of the wildlife and tourism industry in the east African nation.

He said if there are no practical measures in place for the next 20 to 25 years, the park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be a history of the past.

"As a conservator, I am too concerned with the trend. The situation is bad because now citizens are bringing their livestock into the park for grazing along with farming activities in the park, this situation for the next coming years threatens the existence of the national park," he said.

He cited areas that frequent with such acts are Matongo, Senta, Ighabanilo to Maswa villages in Simiyu Region, adding that the park "has been invaded and protected animals are running away".

The warden insisted that if the situation is not contained, it can change and bring huge destructions as some people also cut trees for charcoals in the park.

Bordered by Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east, Serengeti shares the same ecosystem with the Kenya's Maasai Mara National Park. It is famous for the annual wildebeest migration.

Freddy Manongi, Chief conservator of Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority(NCAA), is also concerned with the increasing number of livestock in the wildlife sanctuaries.

According to him, NCAA has ventured into programs that encourage people to reduce the number of indigenous cattle by replacing with improved breeds, which are more productive.

"On our side as government, we'll make sure to make Serengeti National Park and other sanctuaries are there to thrive for the current and future generations," said Simiyu Regional Commissioner Anthony Mtaka.

"We cannot afford to lose it. We must save this precious gift of Tanzania, African and the world at large," added Mtaka.

Changes in weather patterns have created worsening droughts, which in turn force pastoralists to take cattle into wildlife areas for better pasture, thus compounding the problem, according to reports. Endit