Wildlife in Tanzania’s national park facing acute water shortage

DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 29 — Decreased water levels in the Tarangire
River is posing a threat to the survival of wild animals at Tarangire
National Park in northern Tanzania, authorities said on Sunday.

Allan Kijazi, the Director General of the Tanzania National Parks Authority
(TANAPA), said wild animals in the park may face extinction in years to
come if necessary measures were not taken to rescue Tarangire River from
drying up. Existence of animals and other living organisms at Tarangire
National Park depend mostly on the river, which is currently facing reduced
water levels. “Water levels at Tarangire River are alarmingly low and this
is threatening the existence of wild animals at the national park,” Kijazi
told members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Lands, Natural
Resources and Tourism on a visit to the park. The water levels, he said,
have fallen dramatically due to increased human economic activities along
the main source of Tarangire River at Kondoa district in Dodoma region.
“We are calling upon parliament and the government to ensure that the
source of Tarangire River is protected. If this is not taken into
consideration, the lives of animals will be in danger,” he said.

A warden at Tarangire National Park, Herman Bitaho, said water levels have
not improved despite an increase in the amount of rainfall. “If water
levels go down further, animals will be forced to go out in search of the
vital liquid to quench their thirst as well as pasture. This may result
into some catastrophic outcomes on lives of people around the national
park,” he said. The chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Lands, Natural Resources and Tourism, Kemilembe Luota, said although the
decrease of water levels in the river could be caused by global warning,
TANAPA’s alarm should not be ignored. She said it was important for the
government to revisit the importance of national parks to the economy and
make sure that economic activities along the river do not interfere with
the ecological system. – XINHUA