Tanzania reports surge in elephant, lion populations

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2005

DAR ES SALAAM (AFP) — Tanzania said it had recorded a surge in the population of wildlife living in its national parks and game reserves, notably among elephants and lions, attributable to anti-poaching measures.

Over the past 12 years, Tanzania's the number of elephants in Tanzania has shot up by more than 100 percent from 55,000 to 120,000, Tourism and Natural Resources Minister Zakia Meghji told AFP.

She could not provide exact figures for the increase in lions, but industry sources said Tanzania's Serengeti National Park was now home to about 3,000 lions alone, up substantially from the number recorded in the early 1990s.

Meghji said the population jumps were due to the success of anti-poaching operations and programs under which portions of proceeds...