Arusha: Trophy hunting interests are exerting significant pressure on northern Tanzania's Maasai communities and their wildlife corridor. At the same time, conservation efforts, which are well-funded, are facing scrutiny amid increasing cases of Maasai evictions.
According to Deutsche Welle, beyond Arusha, the safari capital of northern Tanzania, a road leads towards Kenya, and just before Longido, a dirt track enters the savanna. It is here that the snow-capped silhouette of Mount Kilimanjaro marks the entrance to the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Established in 2007, the Enduimet WMA is adjacent to Kilimanjaro National Park and the Kenyan border, involving 11 Maasai villages in a community-based conservation system. Under the system's rules, 25-33% of revenue from tourism and hunting is directed back to village members, contrasting with the 3% allocated in game reserves.
However, the conservation model is showing fractures. Between 2023 and 2024, the remains of five "super tuskers"-a critically rare elephant population with fewer than 30 individuals left-were found burned in the area. An anonymous source revealed that the elephants were killed during trophy hunts authorized by the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA). TAWA did not respond to Deutsche Welle's request for comment on these allegations.
The incident broke a long-standing informal agreement ensuring elephants safe passage between Kenya and Tanzania. Kilombero North Safaris (KNS), a company that obtained hunting permits in the area, was involved in organizing the safaris that resulted in the elephants' deaths. KNS's owner, Akram Aziz, previously faced charges in Tanzania but settled with a fine. The company claims to practice "ethical hunting," but the killings have cast doubt on the priorities of Tanzania's WMA system.
Professor Bram Bscher, who researches biodiversity conservation impacts, noted that despite an increase in protected areas and conservation funding, the extinction crisis has worsened. Meanwhile, Maasai communities have faced disputes with state authorities over land near Lake Natron, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Serengeti border. Local communities in Enduimet report increasing pressure on their land, with eviction orders issued in July 2024 triggering protests.
Navaya Ole Ndaskoi from the Tanzanian NGO PINGOs Forum stated that the Maasai have always opposed the establishment of the WMA. WMAs in Tanzania were introduced during wildlife-sector reforms in the 1990s, drawing on community-based conservation models promoted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been a key funder of the Enduimet WMA.
Due to repeated human rights violations, the European Commission suspended conservation funding to Tanzania in 2024. However, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) continues to operate in these areas through cross-border projects funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and other private entities. WWF aims to show that higher earnings can be achieved through ecotourism rather than hunting.
Lawyer Joseph Oleshangay, who works on land issues affecting Maasai communities, argues that conservation programs, which include tourism and hunting concessions, often ignore indigenous rights. He notes that projects like WWF's frequently occur alongside hunting activities and involve agencies responsible for human rights violations.
WWF's Novati Kessy explained that the organization develops alternatives to hunting and ensures community understanding of projects. However, the core issue for the Maasai remains land distribution, as new borders and regulations represent exclusion for communities who have historically moved herds across the region.
This reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Investigative Journalism for Europe fund (IJ4EU).