Maasai Steppe Surveyed

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is reporting that a recent aerial survey over the Maasai Steppe Heartland that includes Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and the Lolkisale Game Controlled Area is indicating an increase in the area's elephants. The News in Brief entry from AWF's Spring 2005 issue of African Wildlife News titled, "Counting Wildlife in the Maasai Steppe", goes on to say that, "Dozens of other species -- including buffalo, eland, Grant's gazelle, giraffe, ostrich, warthog, wildebeest, and zebra -- were also counted in the survey. Using two aircraft and a technique known as Systematic Reconnaissance Flight, the animals were first photographed and counted from the air. By carefully interpreting the photos, the aerial counts were then adjusted to estimate total population. The survey was coordinated by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and co-sponsored by AWF and other partners."