Saving the African Elephant: Tanzanian government and WWF in joint elephant-collaring drive

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02:46

Tanzania has launched its largest-ever drive to track elephants in a national park. The campaign with the Worldwide Fund hopes to save the country's dwindling elephant population. CGTN's Daniel Kijo reports the next step is to re-populate the park and the country.

From afar this may look like a poaching incident, where criminals illegally hunt down elephants for their tusks. But luckily this time, these are the good guys. This is Part of a 12 month joint project between the government and World Wild Fund. 60 elephants are expected to be collared in and surrounding the Selous national park.

ASUKILE KAJUNI DEPUTY ELEPHANT PROGRAM COORDINATOR, WWF "The collar has an iridium collar, that connects with a satellite, that satellite conveys messages, and that message is transmitted to a receiver."

This will enable reserve management and government rangers to track elephant movements, identify and act against threats in real-time. They say the use of satellite collars is a proven effective measure to monitor wildlife movements and provide enhanced security.

DANIEL KIJO DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA "According to a 2016 WWF report, Tanzania has lost 60% of its elephants in the last ten years. But in recent years the government and stakeholders have been fighting back. And things are getting better."

Recent crackdowns on elephant tusks dealers and Ivory bans in China, Britain and other developed countries which were the biggest market, have reduced the pace of the elephant numbers' decline. But this conservationist says there is still more to be done.

MALCOLM RYEN CONSERVATIONIST "I believe the best way to counter attack poaching is through intelligence work in the villages. Remember the country is huge so you do need to focus and poachers always start in villages."

Experts say more than 140,000 savannah elephants were poached for ivory between 2007 and 2014, On average, one elephant is killed every 15 minutes.

ASUKILE KAJUNI DEPUTY ELEPHANT PROGRAM COORDINATOR, WWF "The market is a global syndicate the movement of ivory of source country to market is a very very complicated system because it is an underground business."

The fight to save Tanzania's elephants appears to be gaining momentum. But poachers have been killing elephants for more than a century, so it is hoped with each tagged elephant the tide will continue to turn for this land giant. Daniel Kijo, CGTN, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.