The total number of black rhinos in Tanzania ascended from 163 in 2019 to 238 in 2022, exceeding the goal of having 205 rhinos by the end of 2023, the country's Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mohamed Mchengerwa stated.
Mchengerwa stated that elephants' number expanded from 43,330 in 2014 to 60,000 in 2022 when presenting the budget for the ministry.
"Wildlife security reports indicate that no elephant deaths have resulted from poaching between July 2022 and April 2023," the minister stated.
Thus, Tanzania presently has Africa's third-highest elephant population.
He continued by saying that initiatives to stop the illicit wildlife trading, illicit timber harvesting, and intrusion in wildlife refuges has helped anti-poaching campaigns.
"This is a clear indication that poaching is dropping in Tanzania," he outlined.
Mr. Mchengerwa claims that conservation efforts are still noticeable because the nation is home to the biggest populations of lions and giraffes, with 14,912 and 24,000, respectively.
"We have seized 214 assault weapons (12 rifles, 2 pistols, 45 shotguns, and 155 grenades) and 1,427 bullets, and destroyed seven poaching networks," Mchengerwa noted.
Black rhinos and elephants remain regarded as critically endangered species by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) due to the demand that markets have for their horns and tusks.