Browsing by Author "Nyahongo, Julius W."

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    The attitudes of tourists towards the environmental, social and managerial attributes of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
    (Sage Publishing, 2011) Kaltenborn, Bjørn P.; Nyahongo, Julius W.; Kideghesho, Jafari R.
    Serengeti National Park is a world class icon for wildlife tourism attracting a diverse group of tourists from all over the world. The park has played a pivotal role in protecting large populations of wildlife species of the Eastern African savannah and the globally outstanding biological phenomena such as the annual migration of wildebeest. However, the history of the park is also characterised by resource use conflicts and pressures that could threaten the current quality of the visitor environment. In this paper we examine the attitudes of international visitors toward the management and attributes of the park. Overall, the tourists report a high degree of satisfaction with most aspects of their trip. Yet, the current tourists are concerned about possible future changes that could alter the visitor environment and idealized images of the African wild lands. Basic environmental attitudes (degrees of ecocentrism) have effects on attitudes toward management of the park. Tourists expressing a high degree of ecocentrism are more likely to support management actions aimed at controlling tourism activities, access and impacts. They also express a stronger interest in experiencing nature, wilderness and local culture. The results are discussed in light of the major impact factors and conservation issues facing the management of Serengeti National Park; poaching, poverty in surrounding communities, increasing population pressure, habitat degradation, and wildlife diseases.
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    Black rhino conservation in Tanzania: translocation efforts and further challenges
    (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources., 2010) Fyumagwa, Robert D.; Nyahongo, Julius W.
    Tanzania had many black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) in the 1960s but was hit by ruthless poaching between the 1970s and late 1980s. From the 1990s, the country declared a war against unscrupulous poachers in order to conserve the few remaining rhinos. The current strategy is to reintroduce black rhinos that were originally from East Africa in order to increase genetic diversity. Three translocations of black rhinos between 1997 and 2001 involved 10 animals from South Africa, two of which were reintroduced to Ngorongoro Crater and eight to Mkomazi National Park. In 2007, two black rhinos from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, UK, were introduced into a sanctuary adjacent to Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserves. In June 2009, three black rhinos from the Czech Republic were translocated to Mkomazi National Park. Another translocation operation is expected to begin in May 2010 whereby 32 black rhinos will be translocated into the Serengeti ecosystem from Thaba Tholo, Thabazimbi, South Africa. Although the first five translocation operations went well, the challenge is the management of the reintroduced rhinos amid the growing social-ecological pressures affecting protected areas. Management authorities should consider the recommended sex ratio for rhino populations to avoid excessive male aggression.
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    Communities’ perceptions regarding the impact of Hoima-Tanga crude oil pipeline on the loss of biodiversity in Swagaswaga Game Reserve, Tanzania
    (Academic Journals, 2020) Nyakeko, Nyamasija F.; Nyahongo, Julius W.; Røskaft, Eivin
    This study was conducted to evaluate perceptions of communities surrounding the Swagaswaga Game Reserve regarding the impact of the proposed Hoima-Tanga crude oil pipeline on biodiversity loss. The pipeline will transect the game reserve and some of the neighbouring villages. The study involved 156 randomly selected respondents from four purposefully selected villages located at 0 to 10 km and 11 to 20 km from the game reserve. The respondents comprised 55 females and 101 males, aged between 20 and 70 years. Semi-structured questionnaire was used. Only 57% of the respondents were aware of the proposed project, and the majority of these respondents reside in villages located closer to the game reserve. Their major concern was loss of biodiversity, which was more frequently expressed by those living close to the game reserve (58.3%) than by those living further away (5%). Respondents also expressed concerns about the lack of clarity regarding land compensation. The latter was expressed significantly more frequently by respondents residing close to the game reserve. This study demonstrates the lack of community awareness about the project. The study concluded that, comprehensive community engagement in project planning coupled with technical capacity building will be a key to guaranteeing community involvement in conservation activities.
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    Distribution of mitochondrial clades and morphotypes of baboons Papio spp.(Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Eastern Africa
    (The East Africa Natural History Society and the National Museums of Kenya, 2015) Zinner, Dietmar; Keller, Christina; Nyahongo, Julius W.; Butynski, Thomas M.; de Jong, Yvonne A.; Pozzi, Luca; Knauf, Sascha; Liedigk, Rasmus; Roos, Christian
    Recent genetic studies, using maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, indicate a complex evolutionary history for baboons Papio spp. in general, and for eastern African baboons in particular. To further address this topic and to improve our understanding of phylogeographic patterns of baboons in eastern Africa, mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data were analysed from 148 baboon samples from 103 locations in eastern Africa. The resultant phylogenetic reconstructions suggest an initial split of baboons into four main clades: southern chacma baboons, baboons from Mahale Mountains in Tanzania, main southern, and main northern. We confirm that the boundary between southern and northern clades lies along the Ugalla-Malagarasi River and Ruaha-Rufiji River of central Tanzania. We detected new mitochondrial haplogroups, most notably the Mahale Mountains clade, and refined haplogroup distributions. The evolutionary divergence of baboons in eastern Africa was most likely triggered and maintained by numerous episodes of population division and reconnection, probably related mainly to climate change. To better understand these processes, nuclear DNA information is required, especially to assess gene flow among populations.
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    Factors and ecological impacts of wildlife habitat destruction in the Serengeti ecosystem in northern Tanzania
    (AJEAM-RAGEE., 2006) Kideghesho, Jafari R.; Nyahongo, Julius W.; Hassan, Shombe N.; Tarimo, Thadeo C.; Mbije, Nsajigwa E.
    Despite the considerable worldwide efforts to establish the wildlife protected areas - a strategy construed as the most feasible in maintaining the high quality habitats for healthy wildlife populations - destruction of wildlife habitats has remained the leading threat to biodiversity. This destruction, taking different forms (i.e. degradation, fragmentation or outright loss) is a function of the growing human activities - prompted mainly by such factors as poverty, demographic factors, land tenure systems, inadequate conservation status, development policies and economic incentives. This paper reviews these contributing factors and presents the associated ecological impacts – manifested by a decline of wildlife populations and local extinction of species. Provision of adequate conservation status to critical wildlife habitats, addressing the problem of human population growth, adoption of poverty reduction strategies that are conservation-friendly and discouraging the destructive development policies are recommended as the measures to mitigate the problem. Other measures entail genuine involvement of the local communities in conservation, provision of adequate economic incentives, relevant research and participatory land use planning. In conclusion, the paper argues that, given the nature of the problem, if a lasting solution is to be realized, habitat loss should be viewed as a multisectoral rather than a single sectoral issue. Therefore different stakeholders should play an active role in halting and pre-empting the problem. We propose criteria for selection of the relevant stakeholders.
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    Serengeti National Park and its neighbours–Do they interact?
    (Elsevier, 2008) Kaltenborn, Bjørn P.; Nyahongo, Julius W.; Kidegesho, Jafari R.; Haaland, Hanne
    Community-based management of protected areas has become a strong political objective worldwide. Many African countries have responded to this challenge, albeit with mixed results. Tanzania which is known for its abundant populations of wildlife in national parks has also developed several projects and institutions to improve people–park relationships. So far however, there is little evidence that community-based programmes have had any significant effect on management strategies, benefit distribution, or alleviating poverty. In this paper, we examine a part of this complex in the Western Corridor of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. We address the basic questions of what is the extent of contact between park staff and the communities, what benefits are provided, and what needs do the communities see? There is little interaction between the park and adjacent communities, and while support is given to community projects, minimal benefits are distributed to the household or individual level. The current situation seems incapable of facilitating improved people–park relationships.