Elephants regularly make the journey across the Kilombero Valley. Now their route is protected through an officially designated corridor. Credit: STEP.
We are delighted to announce that the Nyerere-Udzungwa Wildlife Corridor (NUWC) in Tanzania has been officially designated as a wildlife corridor by the Tanzanian government and is now legally protected. In this historic moment, the NUWC has become the first wildlife corridor in Tanzania to receive this official protective status.
This is a huge milestone for our partner Southern Tanzania Elephant Programme (STEP) which has been working to restore this corridor since 2018, alongside dedicated partners, donors and communities from the Sole, Mang’ula and Kanyenja local villages.
The forested routes of wildlife have been turned into farmland over the last 50 years, but STEP and local communities have been working hard to restore this land. Credit: STEP.
The NUWC – formerly known as the Kilombero Elephant Corridor – reconnects the Udzungwa Mountains and Nyerere National Parks via the Magombera Nature Forest Reserve, and safeguards a historic path for elephants across the Kilombero Valley. In fact, the corridor is essential for maintaining the connectivity of 40% of East Africa’s elephants.
Alongside these gentle giants, species such as leopard, lion, buffalo, hyena, and primates like the Udzungwa Red Colobus will all benefit from the protection of this corridor and the safe link between forests it provides.
Other species, like these Serval, also make regular use of the corridor. Credit: STEP.
Equally, local communities have been at the heart of the project, setting aside village land to enable the corridor. These landowners have been compensated for the small farm plots they set aside for conservation and will benefit through employment and income-generating projects. There will also be reduced human-wildlife conflict now that both animals and communities have the space to coexist peacefully.
We hope you’ll join us in congratulating STEP on this huge achievement, which is testament to their years of dedication and hard work in the region. And thank you to our WLT supporters for the important part you have played in securing the protection of this corridor.
Stay tuned for future updates from STEP on the journey ahead and read more about STEP’s work in Tanzania here.
