Combating Poaching and Illegal Logging in Tanzania: Voices of the Rangers-Hands-on Experiences from the Field

WILDLIFE CRIME In 2010 GRID-Arendal initiated a training programme at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka (Mweka Wildlife College) in crime-scene management and tracking. The training was a supplement to the college’s law enforcement course, and included ethics and the importance of professionalism in crime-scene and evidence handling, and tactics to apprehend suspects safely, thereby minimizing risk to both officers and suspects. It also entailed the rights of suspects, proper ethics and the importance of establishing good relations with local villagers while ensuring enhanced capability to protect wildlife and protected areas.

Written feedback was sought towards the end of the project period, but according to local partners this required travelling around the country to collect feedback in person, which proved too demanding on current resources. Number of trained personnel to date: • 1,728 students at Pasiansi • 179 students at Mweka • 130 rangers trained at their duty stations at game reserves and APUs • 24 rangers from Serengeti and Tarangire national parks.

The course became part of the syllabus in the wildlife law enforcement module for the Diploma degree at Mweka Wildlife College, and each year students from Mweka have been trained at the Tarangire Kwakuchinja campsite in the practical features of law enforcement. An INTERPOL manual detailing the contents of the course was produced in English, French and Swahili. 5 Following excellent informal feedback from students and staff, in August 2012 the course was introduced at Pasiansi Wildlife Training Institute (PWTI) and the Lake Zone Anti-Poaching Unit (LZ APU) in Mwanza as a pilot project following approval by the Director of Wildlife.

Number of trained personnel Current as of April 2016

College of African Wildlife Management (MWEKA)

TANZANIA

179

Students

1 728 Students

Pasiansi Wildlife Training Institute (PWTI)

130 Rangers

At duty stations at game reserves and anti-poaching units

24

Rangers

Serengeti and Tarangine National Parks

= 10 people

Figure 2. Number of trained personnel

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