Anti-Poaching in Tanzania’s Moyowosi Wetlands | Origins Foundation x Ganam Safaris x DSC Foundation
Wayne Hendry first came to the Moyowosi in 2001. Twenty-four years later, he says the place is relatively unchanged, and he calls that a privilege. It’s also the result of relentless work.
The southern sector of the Moyowosi Game Reserve covers about 3,000 square kilometers. Nearly a third of it is wetland: papyrus beds and floodplain that drain toward Lake Tanganyika. The Malagarasi River forms the western boundary, and water hems the area in on three sides. The rest is dense miombo and open woodland. That mix of habitats supports sitatunga, sable, roan, elephant, leopard, lion, and rare birds that draw people from around the world.
Wildlife has always lived here. What’s new is the boom. Fishing camps along the Malagarasi have disappeared, and muzzleloader fire is no longer heard. Leopard numbers are high, and a recent survey of lions in the Moyowosi found that the southern sector holds the largest population in the ecosystem.
That recovery depends on a constant presence. Ganam’s anti-poaching teams work every day of the year. Multiple boats patrol the Malagarasi. A newly acquired airboat covers the southern and eastern floodplain in the wet season. Graded roads open the interior, improve access, and act as firebreaks against grass that can reach eight feet tall.
A recent arrest uncovered poachers holding two shoebills, and images of at least ten saddle-billed storks pointed to more. It exposed an illegal bird trade in the region that conservationists are only beginning to understand.
“If you take your foot off the gas, the people will be in in no time. The cattle will pour in and the fish poaching will reach astronomic levels.” — Wayne Hendry
A growing population surrounds the reserve. Without a constant presence, cattle, fishing, and poaching would quickly take over the habitat. Protecting land this remote is expensive in money, logistics, and the toll it takes on the people doing it. It’s sustained by a shared commitment between the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority and the hunting operators who manage these blocks, with wildlife at the center.
“It’s still there and it’s still real.” — Wayne Hendry
The result is land that has held onto something much of South Africa can no longer experience day to day: the wild, still wild. It’s a truth not everyone realizes: the bastions of wildlife security and conservation today sit in the hands of private landowners.
And nowhere does that responsibility weigh heavier than with rhino. For the Kelly family, rhino conservation isn’t just a cause — it’s a commitment to a species that sits at the heart of South African identity, one they’ve carried since that first male and three females in 1969. The challenges associated with protecting this species are real. That’s why they established the Kelly Conservation Fund, dedicated specifically to anti-poaching efforts on this land. This is the story of that work: the patrols, the partnerships, and the people who’ve made protecting rhino as much a part of this land’s future as the animals themselves.
