The Tarangire Elephant Project is working to save:
African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
The African elephant is the largest living land-dwelling animal. The Tarangire National Park elephant population numbers approximately 2,500. It is the largest population in northern Tanzania, and is currently expanding at a rapid rate of around 6% per year. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing is Near Threatened.
Common or Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) & Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
Both the zebra and wildebeest have the IUCN listing Least Concern. However, populations in and around Tarangire have experienced large declines of 60% and 90%, respectively, in the past 10 years due to over-hunting.
Habitat
Savanna short-grass plains form the calving grounds for the large ungulates in the Tarangire ecosystem. The area is approximately 800 sq. km (308 sq. miles) of deciduous woodland (40%) and open grassland (60%) outside of the Tarangire National Park boundaries. There are five villages in the area, with approximately 20% of the habitat under cultivation. None of the land has formal protection.
Critical threats to wildlife:
- Loss of habitat due to agricultural expansion
Tarangire Success Stories
- 60,000 acres of land in the main dispersal area protected through conservation easements with two communities. This land is used only for pastoral activities, with all permanent settlement and agriculture prohibited.
- Three wildlife monitoring/anti-poaching teams set up, employing 14 game scouts total. The presence of the teams in the area serves as a deterrent to poachers; the game scouts note any incidences of illegal activity and then call in official anti-poaching units from Tarangire National Park to arrest the perpetrators.