Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania

The Grumeti Reserves areas are located adjacent on the northwestern border of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. As such, they form part of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem and specifically the annual migratory route of wildebeest. The Grumeti Community & Wildlife Conservation Fund, commonly known as the Grumeti Fund, was established in 2002 by Grumeti Reserves Ltd to assist the Tanzanian Wildlife Division with law enforcement, wildlife management and community development projects.

Its mission statement is: To rehabilitate and maintain the indigenous biodiversity of the western Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem for the benefit of local communities, and district, national and international stakeholders, through strategies and practices that are that are financially and economically sustainable, ecologically and environmentally responsible and politically acceptable.

The Grumeti Fund is a non-profit organisation and is currently financed by donations. The future of the project rests on it being mainly funded through a sustainable commercial tourism operation managed by Singita Grumeti Reserves, with applications to external donors for specific projects.

By creating direct links between the livelihoods of local people and wildlife, there is a positive contribution to the long-term ecological health of the Serengeti Ecosystem. The Grumeti Fund is directly involved to a greater or lesser degree in the following areas:

• Improving habitat diversity, resident game numbers and game viewing opportunities through wildlife observation data analysis, rainfall data analysis and habitat assessment
• Developing links, collaborations and data sharing with national and international research organisations and individuals to further understand the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem
• Rehabilitating, maintaining and reintroducing historically important flora and fauna as well as securing habitat integrity
• Providing scholarships to over seventy secondary, college and tertiary students as well as promoting adult education aimed at improving existing agricultural and livestock practices
• Supporting construction of schools, classrooms, teacher housing, laboratories, offices, ablutions and assisting with text book purchases
• Facilitating a potable water drilling project and encouraging water harvesting practices for villages, secondary schools and livestock
• Launching community initiatives such as fish farming, bee keeping, vegetable gardens and sunflower oil production for camp kitchens and the lodge
• Encouraging the establishment of tree nurseries and cement brick production aimed at discouraging deforestation
• Introducing environmentally sound concepts to village houses, for example wood saving stoves and bio-latrines at secondary schools
• Supporting Right to Play International in developing healthy child development through sport and play activities

Rhinos at Grumeti

In 2004, a proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania to re-introduce Black Rhino to the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem  Permission was granted in November 2005 by the Tanzanian Government.

The Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem is home to fewer than 70 black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) in isolated populations in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and in Tanzania in the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and two areas in the Serengeti National Park – north and south. These populations are increasing but are geographically isolated. The western Serengeti has been identified by the African Rhino Specialist Group as suitable for such a re-establishment of additional populations of black rhino.

The re-introduction will assist in obtaining long-term funding which will boost security on the western boundary of the ecosystem. The ability to show the Big Five through the Grumeti Reserves tourism activities to guests will hugely strengthen the income generation from the photographic tourism on which the long-term sustainability of the project rests. On a wider scale, it will help consolidate all the stakeholders in the area – Tanzanian National Parks, Wildlife Division, Kenya Wildlife Services, Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and other private NGOs in working towards a healthy ecosystem.

The Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem has the potential to become a Continental Key 1 Population and it is the aim of Grumeti Fund to assist the Tanzanian Government to make this happen.

To date, two black rhinos have been translocated to Grumeti (from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in the UK), and there are plans for a further 40-50 to come from South Africa in late 2009.

Community development

In tandem with the focus on conservation has been extensive support for and investment in local communities.

The main focus has been on assisting small scale business units create self-sustaining jobs. These small businesses are largely agricultural enterprises and the goal of the programme is to reduce any reliance on illegal hunting as a form of livelihood and to provide local people with alternative sources of protein and income.

The Grumeti Fund facilitates the training of local people in the knowledge and skills required to run such enterprises. It also provides information and financial support. A grant scheme, n the form of ‘revolving funds’ has been implemented. Grants are made and then re-paid in cash or kind to assist other future projects. The lodges also provide a market for local produce - 750 staff are fed three meals per day and local produce is used where practical.

The final area of focus of the Fund’s community development effort has been the education of the local youth. This support has taken the form of the building and rehabilitation of schools; enhancing the ability of teachers to develop holistic skills amongst pupils; the provision of textbooks; and financial support for individual children through the awarding of scholarships.

In addition to the direct financial input into the local areas through the community development programmes, the livelihoods of the staff employed by the organisation have been positively impacted. During the construction phase of the tourist lodges, close to 3,000 people from surrounding areas were employed. This has now reduced but is still substantial. The operational staff of the reserve and the lodge is approximately 750.

By creating job opportunities through tourism and conservation, several hundred people now earn a livelihood from gainful employment and have the beginnings of a disposable income to boost local economies. For every employed member of a family there are, on average, ten dependents. As such, the Grumeti Reserves influences the lives of a substantial number of Tanzanians.

As part of the re-introduction of the black rhino, a Community Awareness programme is being run in conjunction with Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserve offices at Fort Ikoma.

Law enforcement

In the period before 2002, the area was a legal hunting concession but where illegal hunting was an everyday occurrence. The impact of the poaching left the area devoid of resident game and without any sustainable tourism potential but just as importantly, it was a threat to the movement of the migratory herds.

Controlling the poaching was the first priority of the Grumeti Fund. Before a sustainable commercial tourism venture could be established, the extensive poaching had to be managed and ultimately halted. An anti-poaching unit was formed and proceeded to place the Reserves under surveillance. After three years, the unit has had an unprecedented impact and poaching has become virtually unknown in the Reserves.

The anti-poaching unit now consists of 125 scouts, all of whom are ex-poachers. They operate in the field, equipped with binoculars, radios, GPS units and cameras. They carry out foot patrols daily covering 1,500sq kms. The personal stories of the scouts who make up this unit are inspiring. By way of example: Juma Nanai, who is now a rhino keeper for the organisation, was an active poacher and set up his snaring camps with the assistance of Gotera Magesa, who is now one of the unit’s anti-poaching camp leaders. Andrea Shabani, who was a notorious and prolific poacher and is now a key staff member, was arrested and lost teeth in the scuffle with Shabotiko Chiwa and Webiro Bopamba, two former poachers who are now anti-poaching scouts and colleagues. Shabani’s mettle and bush knowledge was too good to let pass and, after serving his sentence, he was taken on by the company as a Wildlife Habituation tracker.

Rhino monitoring

The wider and real impact of this successful anti-poaching intervention is being scientifically assessed on an ongoing basis. Wildlife monitoring of the area over the last 3-4 years and on-going data collection (which is one of the key responsibilities of the anti-poaching scouts) has revealed a steady increase in resident game. Aerial ecological censuses are statistically documenting the recovery of the game to the area. This visible impact of the programme is a direct result of the increased security and stable habitats now experienced by the wildlife. This provides year-round, excellent game-viewing experiences for the guests of the lodges and the income generated will ultimately ensure long-term sustainability.

The halting of illegal hunting is also fundamental to the goal of restoring and maintaining the biodiversity of the area and the broader Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem.