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Serengeti Watch

is a project of the

Earth Island Institute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dear Serengeti Supporter,

 

Ten years ago, Professor Alexander Songorwa of Sokoine University in Tanzania wrote a paper on population and conservation that concluded,

 

"Along with population increase there will be an increase in the demand for wildlife and other natural resources, including land... if appropriate measures are not taken now, more wildlife habitats will be lost...  The crisis will evolve into a catastrophe."

 


In just 15 years, the population of Tanzania 
will go from 51 million to 75-83 million people!
Since that dire warning, population has grown at an accelerating pace. Tanzania has one of the highest birth rates in the world. To see how this is already affecting the Serengeti, see this article, Running the Gauntlet.

Short of a massive family planning campaign, we must address other ways to protect the Serengeti. We'll continue to focus on immediate threats to the ecosystem, including highways through and around the park. But equally important, we need to create widespread benefits for local communities and get them invested in conservation for the long term.

Media Conservation Seminar
Conservation & Media Seminar

Our mission is to build a strong conservation ethic among local people who will serve as a protective buffer around the park. We believe conservation can't be imposed from the top down - it must grow organically from the bottom up. 

 

Among our programs, we've just completed an intensive seminar for young journalists. You can view a short video online. We'll report on other programs soon.

 

In the meantime, please help with a donation. We can do this!

 

Again, we can't thank you enough for your support!

 

The Serengeti Watch Team

 


Update  Serengeti Highway Court Appeal

Last year, the East African Court of Justice ruled against a paved highway across the Serengeti. We are waiting for a verdict on an appeal by the Tanzanian government that would reverse the earlier decision. You can read more about the appeal here.

 

None of the arguments against the court's decision has any merit. In fact, they challenge the court's actual jurisdiction and power over East African Community country members. In this regard, Tanzanian officials should think ahead. They may want to use the court in the future for their country's own vital interests, especially regarding shared water resources. Read more

 


Lions Under Threat

lions
Photo: Boyd Norton


An article in Scientific American states that African lions could face extinction by 2050. It reports that the total population of lions in Africa is about 34,000 animals, down 50 percent or more from thirty years ago. Moreover, there are a limited number of strongholds where lions can be 
found, primarily in southern and eastern Africa.
Photo: Jeremy Gross

Another article reports that there are only 250 lions left in West Africa, and these already risk extinction.

In the Serengeti and surrounding parks and reserves, lions are also under threat as these recent articles indicate:


We don't have to stand by and watch. We must act now to reverse the decline and build lasting protection.