Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2024)

Operation Villagization and Its Implications for Wildlife Conservation in South-western Serengeti, Tanzania: The Case of Maswa Game Reserve, ca. 1970s–1980s

https://doi.org/10.56279.13.1.0
James Benedict Kuboja
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Department of History
Hezron Kangalawe
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,

Corresponding Author(s) : James Benedict Kuboja

james.kuboja@udsm.ac.tz

Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), Vol. 13 No. 1 (2024)

Abstract

Operation Villagization in Tanzania attracted the attention of many scholars, including
historians, inside and outside the country. This is because it is one of the major
policies in the history of Tanzania that affected many sectors. Despite the extensive
scope of these studies, minimal attention has been devoted to exploring the
connections between this operation and wildlife conservation. The current article
uses the case of the Maswa Game Reserve (MGR) to examine the extent to which the
operation affected wildlife resources conservation. In essence, it argues that poor
implementation of the operation led to enormous encroachments in the MGR, which
in turn reduced its size by more than 15 percent following several realignments of its
western boundary. This led to loss of wildlife habitats and dispersal areas for both
residents and migratory ungulates. Moreover, the operation led to a significant loss
of wild animals in both the MGR and the Serengeti National Park owing to increased
organised poaching activities, and the commercialisation of game meat.

(Received: 19 January 2024; Accepted: 6 April 2024; Revised: 25 April 2024)

Keywords

villagization, wildlife conservation, operation vijiji, encroachment, land use conflicts, boundary changes, poaching.
Operation Villagization and Its Implications for Wildlife Conservation in South-western Serengeti, Tanzania: The Case of Maswa Game Reserve, ca. 1970s–1980s. (2024). Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), 13(1). https://doi.org/10.56279.13.1.0
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Author Biographies

James Benedict Kuboja, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Department of History




Hezron Kangalawe, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,


Department of History
kangalawe1982@gmail.com
 

How to Cite

Operation Villagization and Its Implications for Wildlife Conservation in South-western Serengeti, Tanzania: The Case of Maswa Game Reserve, ca. 1970s–1980s. (2024). Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), 13(1). https://doi.org/10.56279.13.1.0
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