The impact of harvest-based initiatives on wildlife poaching around the Ugalla and Rungwa game reserves

Biodiversity, including wildlife, is gravely endangered by illegal activities within and outside protected areas. Harvest-Based Initiatives (HBI) were introduced to ensure local community access to wildlife resources inside protected areas; resources are sustainably used and are beneficial to both conservation and communities. In this study, we examined the impact of harvest-based initiatives and ranger perceptions on poaching in Ugalla and Rungwa game reserves. Data were extracted from six years of anti-poaching patrol reports (2015–2020), where 576 reports were selected (288 from Rungwa and 288 from Ugalla). Using simple random sampling, 96 rangers were interviewed to determine the effectiveness of anti-poaching and harvest-based initiatives in game reserves. Results indicated that, between six years, the mean incidences of unlawful harvest in Ugalla Game Reserve and Rungwa Game Reserve differed significantly. On the other hand, the perception of rangers on HBI as the cause of poaching inside game reserves differed significantly between the two reserves. In contrast, the effectiveness of anti-poaching in the two-game reserves was not statistically different. We recommend the implementation of HBI to other Game reserves to ensure the sustainability of wildlife resources inside protected areas.