| The Selous Game reserve is internationally | | | | Stiegler's Gorge were poached out and elephants |
| recognized as one of best managed areas in | | | | slaughtered in colossal numbers. |
| Africa. Poaching in this reserve is minimal and | | | | Despite the reserve being declared a World |
| animal populations including Elephants are thriving. | | | | Heritage Site in 1982, the massive slaughter of |
| What is the storey behind this success? This was | | | | elephants had begun. Numbers of 100,000 |
| not always the storey for this area - once the | | | | elephants were reduced to less than 30,000 by |
| Selous Game Reserve was under threat from the | | | | 1991. It was reported that every day twenty |
| blight of the poachers. | | | | elephants died at the hands of these poaching |
| The Selous Game Reserve is huge with only a | | | | gangs. |
| small section of the park used for photography | | | | With the help several conservation organizations |
| safaris and another section used for hunting | | | | from outside and within Africa and the |
| safaris. Many people, including myself, have a hard | | | | determination of the Tanzanian Government this |
| time understanding that the hunting safari is a | | | | downward spiral was halted. Determined and |
| good thing for conservation. However, if it were | | | | brave young wardens were put into the parks |
| not for the hunting safari the Selous would be a | | | | and the fight against illegal poaching began, at last, |
| waste land devoid of animals. | | | | to be won. Hunting was reintroduced into the |
| Hunting is the success storey behind the Selous | | | | reserve; with the hunters kept well away from |
| which is fast becoming an area that is the place | | | | the photographic tourists. The revenue generated |
| to see game whilst on safari in Africa. The | | | | from the hunting helps greatly to fund the |
| reserve suffered greatly from poaching in the late | | | | effective management of the Selous. |
| 1970's and most of the 1980's. | | | | Animals are carefully monitored and this enables |
| Disaster struck in 1973 when the Tanzania | | | | quotes of specific animals to be allocated to the |
| Government gave way - under considerable | | | | short hunting season. Hunting is therefore |
| international pressure - to ban hunting from the | | | | returning the Selous Game Reserve to its former |
| Selous. Once this ban took hold the rot set in, the | | | | glory. As mentioned at the beginning of this article |
| decline of this park was as rapid as it was | | | | this area of Tanzania is now thriving thanks to a |
| dramatic. Poaching gangs of up to sixty people | | | | careful managed policies including hunting; which is |
| descended into the reserve. The many rhino's in | | | | used as a means of conservation. |