‘Serengeti shall not die’: Can the ambition be sustained?
Loading...
Date
2005
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
Serengeti, a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve, is increasingly being
threatened by human factors, which undermine its natural resource base and, therefore,
contradict the ambition contained in Grzimeks’ popular book ‘Serengeti Shall Not
Die’. We discuss five forces against the ambition: rapid human population growth,
poverty, illegal hunting, habitat destruction, and wildlife diseases. We also review some of
the current strategies adopted in view of pre-empting the negative outcomes resulting
from these forces by pointing out their deficiencies. We conclude that, although human
population growth and poverty are underlying factors threatening the Ecosystem, the
current mitigative strategies barely address them adequately. We, therefore, recommend
that, for Grzimeks’ ambition to remain valid, the two factors should take priority. We also
call for more research to establish the reasons making people exhibit unsustainable
behaviours toward the resources. We further suggest learning from past mistakes in view
of correcting the identified deficiencies. Support in the form of alternative sustainable
livelihood strategies and discouraging all ecologically destructive policies are equally
important. Drawing from experience of the Kenyan part of the Ecosystem we suggest
banning of land privatization, commercial agriculture and other development policies
conflicting with conservation interests around Serengeti National Park
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Tanzania, Serengeti, Grzimek, Wildlife, Protected areas, Conservation
Citation
Jafari R. Kideghesho , Eivin Røskaft , Bjørn P. Kaltenborn & Thadeo M. C. Tarimo (2005) 'Serengeti shall not die': Can the ambition be sustained?, The International Journal of Biodiversity Science and Management, 1:3, 150-166, DOI: 10.1080/17451590509618089