Saadani Game Reserve

Saadani Game Reserve

Saadani Game Reserve was conceived by Mr Mahinda the Director of Wildlife in 1966. It was officially gazetted in on the 24th January 1969 after he had consulted the Saadani village elders. These agreed hoping to gain some revenue from the Reserve. Compensation was awarded for the loss of cultivated land taken away for the protected area. Former Saadani game reserve was the only coast based wildlife conservation area in Tanzania. About 30 species of larger mammals are present as well as reptiles and birds, and marine species in the adjacent sea.

When the Reserve was established, a zoological garden was opened as an additional attraction. Further some houses were built by the sea. These were for the use of dignitaries wishing to enjoy a break from Dar es Salaam and who came to hunt by special privilege. One of these, the Saadani rest house is still there and in use by the former Reserve’s management.

The circa 2000 km2 of relatively intact continuous ecosystem around the former Reserve includes Mkwaja North (now included in Saadani National Park) as well as the Zaraninge Forest Reserve. The ecosystem falls into the three districts of Bagamoyo in Pwani Region and Handeni and Pangani in Tanga Region. Saadani Game Reserve was initially roughly 200 km2 large until Mkwaja South, an area of 217 km2 bordering the north of the game reserve, was acquired by the Wildlife Division with financial assistance from the European Union in 1996 and annexed to the Reserve.

Since the establishment of Saadani Game Reserve conflicts have occured between men and wildlife. Crop damage occurs when game feeds in the cultivated areas. Bushpigs and baboons especially cause a lot of damage eating whole fruit, pulling up plants for their delicious roots and breaking off their shoots. Elephants too cause problems: Though relatively few in number it takes them no time at all to destroy a farmers’s long-term investment such as a coconut plantation.

Small boys are often given the responsibility of guarding the fields. Perched on a tree stump or other vantage point they chase away smaller intruders such as baboons with stones. Larger mammals may require the assistance of the Reserve’s scouts. Further conflicts arise over illegal cutting and burning of trees by villagers for building materials, fire wood and charcoal. Conflicts over land are also an issue as people living in adjacent areas feel more and more land is being taken away to be incorporated into the Game Reserve.

Way back in 1969, Saadani game reserve was the first project area of the Game Division which sought to find a way of achieving development within the bordering villages through the utilization of wildlife and the areas other natural resources. Game ranching and the domestication of wild animals formed part of the projects vision. In 1998 the Saadani Conservation and Development Programme (SCDP) was started by the Wildlife Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania, in collaboration with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), in order to rehabilitate the Reserve and integrate directly adjacent villages into the conservation effort. Since then poaching has decreased and wildlife numbers have increased. Eventually, in 2005, the Saadani game reserve was upgraded to National Park status under the Tanzania National Parks authority (TANAPA) in order to afford the area the highest level of legal protection. Both the current and the future management of the area have recognized the need for increased communication and co-operation with the surrounding villages.