Tanzania harbours one of Africa’s most significant remaining elephant populations, the only larger population being found in Botswana. In 1976, numbers in Tanzania stood at 316,000, but major declines in the late 1980’s and more recently between 2006 and 2015, driven by an upsurge in the illegal trade in ivory, decimated the population, with roughly 43,500 estimated in 2014. Numbers are starting to recover now thanks to improved conservation and the effective application of laws.

Historically, many of the countries significant elephant areas formed part of an elephant meta-population, with substantial dispersal between areas such as the Selous and northern Mozambique and Ruaha-Katavi and the north. Substantial habitat still exists in many areas, but efforts to improve the management of key wildlife corridor areas is a national priority.

Organized poaching for ivory remains a threat facing elephant populations across much of Africa, and although rates of poaching have dropped to a very low-level in Tanzania, the close monitoring of elephants is still warranted, as is periodic support to ranger forces if poaching is detected.

As the human population increases and natural habitat is converted to agriculture, the risk of human-elephant conflict also increases. While the improved management of wildlife corridors helps maintain a managed distance between elephants and humans, where elephants do encounter people, the mitigation of human-elephant conflict where possible is also an essential approach.

The Ruaha-Katavi ecosystem is one of the few remaining strongholds for vultures in Africa, yet very little is known about their abundance, behaviour, nesting, breeding and population trends in this area. WCS is therefore undertaking research in collaboration with North Carolina Zoo with a view to developing effective conservation actions. Surveys of vulture abundance, using roadside counts, were begun in Katavi and Ruaha National Parks in 2013. Results so far show that vulture populations are significant and have not changed dramatically during this time. Vultures move out of both national parks during the wet season due to reduced food availability at that time.

Several white-backed vultures have been satellite tagged around Ruaha National Park and transmit 14 data points a day. These data, combined with the roadside counts, are being used establish population ranges, discover important breeding sites, and determine principle mortality causes and rates. Road side counts are done four times a year (twice in wet season and twice in dry season) along with systematic nest searches by car and aerial surveys when possible - all to further establish an accurate picture of vulture abundance and population trends.