Anti-Poaching Network

In conserving the wildlife and wild lands of Africa, AWF understands that people are critical to successful results. In the Kilimanjaro Heartland, AWF works closely with local communities to tap their knowledge of the local ecosystem and to engage them in conservation efforts. In doing so, the Hifadhi Anti-Poaching Network was born, under the guidance and leadership of AWF's Research Scientist Alfred Kikoti.

The West Kilimanjaro (West Kili) region in AWF’s Kilimanjaro Heartland supports large numbers of elephants and other wildlife and serves as an important wildlife corridor between these three protected areas. As many as 600 elephants use West Kili in the dry season, and the region’s diverse habitats provide important calving areas for zebra, wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, and Grant’s gazelles.

In addition to its diverse habitats and wildlife communities, West Kili also hosts a diverse human population. There are 12 traditional Maasai communities in West Kili that depend on cattle grazing. There are also extensive agricultural fields at mid elevations. The combination of agricultural fields and rural pastoral communities poses a significant challenge for wildlife conservation in the region. Poaching of elephant ivory and bushmeat in the unprotected areas of West Kili, where there are few patrols by the Tanzania Wildlife Department, has also become a frequent problem.

Through the Hifadhi Network, AWF is engaging local communities in West Kili in active conservation measures. The Hifadhi Network aims to reduce poaching, protect natural forests and vegetation and curb bushmeat trade. As part of the Network, key stakeholders from the community, private sector entities, local and national governments, and partner organizations work together to improve security of elephants and other wildlife species in the area.

The key to the Hifadhi Network are the local game scouts recruited from Maasai communities in West Kili. These scouts conduct patrols and apprehend poachers in key wildlife areas where wildlife are illegally hunted for bushmeat. Local populations are also involved in reporting and apprehending poachers.

AWF and its partners provide vehicles, fuel and food for the operation as well as an allowance for local Village Game Scouts. Kilimanjaro and Arusha National Parks assist by providing rangers to enforce regulations and apprehend culprits associated with wildlife and natural resources destruction.

The Hifadhi Network is an excellent example of how simple measures that involve local communities can be an effective conservation tool. Despite minimal resources, the Network has succeeded in curbing the bushmeat trade and poaching in West Kili – since 2003, the Network has arrested 50 poachers.