Tanzania has ordered wildlife rangers to shoot poachers “right there in the jungle” who are arrested within its national parks and game reserves, effective immediately, according to a report in AfricaReview.
Khamis Kagasheki, Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism said Friday there would be no need to take poachers to court.
He spoke at the Elephant March, a global event held in 15 countries. Tanzania played host to a 3K walk in its northern safari capital of Arusha.
Numbers are unavailable for elephants killed each year at the hands of poachers in Tanzania, Kagasheki said. “Available figures range between 30 and 70 jumbos per day.” He plans to launch a survey soon, according to AfricaReview.
“There will be no forgiveness when it comes to cases of poachers terrorising innocent wildlife like elephants, rhinos and other species in this country,” he said.
Kagasheki warned all poachers and those involved in illegal hunting to pack up their weapons and find a legal business, saying anyone caught in the parks for whatever reason will be shot dead on the spot.
Kagasheki appeared furious with increasing poaching incidents in the wildlife-rich country, saying illegal hunters have wealthy international barons backing them, are well equipped with advanced weapons and can also usually afford to mount a legal defense, AfricaReview reports.
Tanzania’s top wildlife official said human rights issues do not count in this matter and Tanzania would not listen to anyone opposed to implementing the order.
“I am very aware that some alleged human-rights activists will make an uproar, claiming that poachers have as much rights to be tried in courts as the next person, but let’s face it, poachers not only kill wildlife but also usually never hesitate to shoot dead any innocent person standing in their way,” Kagasheki said. “That is why you always hear that court cases against poachers take very long and sometimes the culprits get acquitted, and the only way to solve this problem is to execute the killers on spot.”
The Elephant March was organised by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. In the single largest demonstration of awareness for the species, the first-ever Elephant March took place in Arusha, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Edinburgh, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Munich, New York City, Rome, Toronto, Washington D.C. and Wellington, AfricaReview reports.
