In an effort to curb conflicts between humans and wildlife that have been stoked by drought, the government of Tanzania has started to re-map and demarcate its national parks, game and forest reserves.
“The exercise to redraw boundaries of protected sites would be led by the country's National Parks Authority (TANAPA) to safeguard wildlife sanctuaries from illegal cattle grazing, logging and poaching,” Minister for tourism and natural resources, Jumanne Maghembe, said.
"We would like to see borders of our national parks and protected areas clearly marked so that no one can trespass. Stern legal measures will be taken against anyone who would cross into protected areas," the minister said.
About 37 percent of Tanzania's land is covered by conservation rules with almost 400,000 square km (155,000 square miles) of protected land contained in national parks, game and forest reserves famous for spectacular landscapes and herds of wildebeest and elephants.
The TANAPA spokesman said slabs of concrete that delineate boundaries are already being erected around Serengeti national park, and said the exercise would be expanded to 14 other national parks countrywide.
The struggle for land has brought the competing needs of wildlife and humans into conflict in Tanzania, posing a threat to the tourism industry, a cornerstone of the country's economy.
Illegal herding of cattle into national parks due to drought has placed a new strain on wildlife, endangering the lives of animals including wildebeest in the Serengeti. Conservationists said the local wildebeest population has declined from 2 million to 1.5 million in the past decade.
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