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119
THE STATUS AN'D DISTRIBUTION
OF CROCODILES IN TANZANIA
Ian Games
P.O. Box U.A. 296
HARARE
ZIMBABWE
Emmanuel Severre
Wildlife Division
P.O. Box 1994
DAR-ES-SALAAM
TANZANIA
INTRODUCTION
TaMania is one of the largest countries iD eastem and southern Africa with
one million
an area
square
of almost
kilometerc. There are t: maior rivers and i iar*Li",
are ln protected
,r"V of rfr""
areas.
"ri
Tel lo ( 1985) surveyed a number of rivers in the S elo s but the results
b,een
of this
obtainabre.
survey nave
However,
nor
he estimated a totar popuration of ?4 000 crocodiles
Hirji (1986) in .lhnzania.
surveyed Lake Rukwa and recomrnended the cropping
annum
of tO OOO
on very
anrmats
Iirtte
per
supforring evidcnce., Karalihwa and Lemu
of +76 000
?iSsil a populution
efocoJites in T nzania. Iargely on infbfmation t.k"; i; "rti.ui"J i;ii;;;;;;r,
In 1988, 1989 and 1990. suDDorted largely by lirnding from the Tanzanian goy€rnmem,
Internationater Reptilecler-Verbind E.v (j"iT*v;, s*!,"ri",,""rl i.."ii"]E.iJ tn*^0,
CITES. Hambo Crocodile proiecr lTan
ranzjnia-s de;ire ; ;;;:;il;; .;:fi Hl"T:.*f i:,fJ':,gJT:1,1];,ili,il**. il
surveys were carried out (Hufton and Kataliwa. tqgg; Games ancl Severre,
Severre,
iq-Sg;
1990). This paper
iuln", onO
'oiih is a summary
with some cr iscussion
" irH;-;- inibrmation obraine during rhe 1990 survev
l;8;*,:ie
The.1988 survey covere{l the Rufjgi and Ruaha rivers in March when
flo('d
the rivers
This was
were
a preliminary
still in
surve-v tbr rhe CITes Nir" cr,r*iir"e.q.iii",,,i""
1992). ln 1989 fundinE was made ivailab
""'u o"rn*,
:*HxxTtr sliT.*'n#t*Lt1li fitffji',ffi
"':""'"x'": -if;
J: J.x'$T::
The_1990 suwey (again carried out in October) investigared crocodile
5 lakes.
densities
The
in l3
survey
rivers
was limired
and
by tine, funds anj suitabte
"i.",rt u",i-,riJ ro, l_a::1ii: d,at1.for a m.rniroring pr.giamme. The principal aim was to survey as much "u*,ot
crocodile hahirar as possibje
'"" suitable
anJ t.r u.ess ,:r,,r.,,lite ahu"O""." i" t,o"i
"7..