Demonstration of hive management.

Currently the elephants experiencing poor vegetation cover where they can access feeding. Drought is seen to be increased as years go on. It is realised that human settlement and livestock grazing in protected areas and elephant corridors is widespread. CONASU has been revealed that livelihoods activities which motivate conservation of habitats are highly needed. It is also revealed that the villagers engage into various livelihoods but lack of entrepreneurship skills, hence continue to facilitate destruction of habitats especially extension of farms and deforestation through overgrazing and charcoal making activities, there is ongoing human – elephant’s conflict. Otherwise, elephants are seen by adjacent community as destructors of their crops while farming have been extended to elephants corridors. There is ongoing human encroachment towards park area.

Since there is continuing reported cases on deterioration of elephants’ habitats in Mikumi National Park, this project intends to enhance protection and management of on elephants’ habitat and protection against poaching practices where other wild animals will benefit as well. This project complies with Tanzania Wildlife Policy, 2007 and wildlife Conservation Act of 2009 which give for involvement of adjacent villagers in conserving wildlife including abstain from destruction of habitat. Hence, it will enhance community on participatory elephants’ habitats/corridors protection and management and Tanzania Elephants Management Plan 2010 – 2015 under strategic objective 1 on human – elephant conflict and strategy objective 2 on elephants’ corridors management and protection and Wildlife Management Areas Regulation, 2012 which promote establishment of Wildlife Management Areas by villagers living adjacent to reserves. Hence in order to reduce destruction of elephants’ habitat, the adjacent community is supposed to effectively participate into conservation efforts by engaging into livelihoods which facilitate afforestation and avoid encroachment to elephants’ habitat. Hence, the project enhance management and protection of the ecosystem for suitable habitat of African Elephants and other Wild animals. It intends to upscale the implementation scope to other eight (8) villages which are Mhanda, Mbamba, Kiduhi, Lumango and Kitunduweta villages in Kilosa district, Misengere and Mtipule in Mvomero district and Kisaki village in Morogoro district. The implementation materials focuses on training Village Game scouts (VGS) on effective patrolling, train community on entrepreneurial livelihoods skills and promote the establishment of Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). It will involve the inception to 20 people, Training to VGS and community with total of 80 participants (each training 40 people). It will involve supply of 8 bee smokers and 48 beehives that to be fixed adjacent to park for protecting the reserve and providing income to community.