Authorities in Tanzania’s Longido District have imposed a temporary restriction on grazing activities in parts of the Kitenden Conservancy following the poisoning of dozens of vultures, a move officials say is necessary to prevent community conflict and protect endangered wildlife.
The Olmolo Ward councillor, Loomoni Olesiate Mole, confirmed the restriction, describing it as a precautionary step aimed at restoring order and ensuring accountability.
According to him, unchecked grazing at this time could inflame tensions between communities and undermine efforts to investigate the incident.
“This measure is to stop conflict between communities and to ensure justice for the wildlife,” Mole said, stressing that the decision was taken in the broader interest of peace and conservation.
Tanzanian authorities have also vowed firm action against those responsible. John Magembe, Chief Officer for Wildlife Management at the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area, assured that the government would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
“All those involved will be brought to justice,” Magembe said. “The government of Tanzania will ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and that the law takes its course.”
Backing the government’s stance, the chairman of Kitenden Conservancy, Sayialel Ole Noombaek, adopted a hardline position, declaring that grazing would not resume until all suspects linked to the poisoning are arraigned in court.
“Wildlife protection is non-negotiable,” Noombaek said, insisting that economic activities must not come at the expense of the ecosystem.
Conservationists have described the incident as deeply troubling, particularly the loss of 34 vultures, a species already classified among the most endangered in the region.
Experts warn that vultures play a vital role in disease control by rapidly disposing of carcasses, thereby preventing the spread of harmful pathogens.
“The poisoning of vultures is not just a wildlife issue; it is a public health concern,” conservationists noted, warning that continued attacks on the species could destabilise the delicate ecological balance of the Amboseli ecosystem.
The Kitenden Conservancy, which lies along a critical wildlife corridor linking Tanzania and Kenya, has long been a symbol of cross-border conservation cooperation.
However, environmental groups now warn that the poisoning incident poses a serious test to that partnership.
They caution that failure to act decisively could undo decades of conservation progress in the Amboseli landscape, an area renowned for its biodiversity and shared stewardship between communities and governments on both sides of the border.
As investigations continue, pressure is mounting on authorities to deliver swift justice, not only to deter future wildlife crimes but also to reassure conservation partners that the region’s hard-won environmental gains will not be sacrificed to impunity.