Tanzania’s Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources announced that in the 2015/2016 fiscal year the government will allocate funds for research aimed at finding the reasons behind the increase of tuskless elephants in the country’s national parks.
The Ministry's Deputy Minister, Mahmoud Mgimwa, said that a number of elephants without tusks has emerged at alarming rates and that relevant research is necessary. Mgimwa made the remarks responding to legislator Rajab Mbarouk Mohamed's question that pressed reasons leading to such news. Mohamed linked the situation with elephant poaching.
"Due to the increase of poaching activities in our national parks and games, we are now experiencing even a number of elephants without tusks increasing," he said, as he asked the minister to give reasons that would cause the increase.
However, the minister also explained that all elephants are born without tusks. Normally after 18 months a male elephant gets its tusks while a female one gets it at between 24 and 30 months.
“However, DNA tests carried out had shown that some elephants fail to develop tusks,” he continued.
“It is true there are reports which show the increasing number of elephants which have no tusks in our national parks. Right now, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) is carrying-out ongoing research on the reasons as to why there is an increasing number of tusk-less elephants in our parks, particularly in the national parks within Mikumi, Ruaha and Katavi.”
Currently, TAWIRI’s preliminary research findings say the prevalence of tuskless elephants is not due to increased poaching.
“By using this preliminary survey, the government will set aside a certain amount of money for carrying-out extensive study to find out the reasons for the increasing number tusk-less elephants,” the minister said.