Photo taken on March 4, 2018, shows a golden jackal in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, northern Tanzania. (Xinhua/Li Sibo)
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has urged to set up zoos across the east African nation as one way of conserving wildlife and preserving nature.
DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli has urged fellow countrymen to establish zoos, wildlife and nature sanctuaries dedicated towards conserving and preserving plant and animal species, according to a statement by the presidency.
The statement said Magufuli urged Tanzanians to come up in big numbers and set up zoos across the east African nation as one way of conserving wildlife and preserving nature.
"The country has already a few individuals who have established zoos. I urge more people to do the same," said the president on Friday, adding that zoos also helped in promoting tourism.
Magufuli said section 5 of the 2009 Wildlife Act allowed people to keep wild animals in zoos at areas that were conducive for their conservation and that were accessible by domestic and foreign tourists, said the statement.
A leopard is seen at the Ruaha National Park located about 130 kilometers west of Iringa Region, Tanzania, Dec. 10, 2017. The park covers about 20,226 square kilometers and is the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa. The park is home to about one-tenth of the world's endangered African lions. (Xinhua/Li Sibo)
"There are many countries in the world, including South Africa, that are benefiting from keeping wild animals in zoos. Tens of hundreds of tourists visit the zoos," said Magufuli.
He urged wildlife experts to guide people on how to establish zoos like what a few individuals, including retired senior public servants, were doing.
Tanzania has currently 23 zoos, said the statement.■
