"Global Community: Protecting Our Planet" examines animal conservation efforts
NEW YORK - In the hustle and bustle of city life, it can be easy to forget the wild animals we live among and the impact we have on them.
Every day across the globe, natural habitats grow smaller, as developing countries adapt to modernization. In Tanzania, official efforts to protect wildlife find the balance between conservation and economic growth.
A third of Tanzania's land is protected, and the government is looking to the future by leaving things how they were in the past.
In the Ngorogoro Crater, most animals spend their entire lives inside tall mountain walls. The breathtaking beauty of lake and jungle combine to create an oasis, untouched by the modern world. The simple roads were carved out by elephants ages ago.
As they wind from the mountain into the savanna of the Serengeti, even those at the top of the food chain still have to beware. Despite best efforts to patrol for poachers, black market demand prevails and big game hunting remains legal in certain areas for older, male animals no longer able to mate.
Veteran safari guide Otto Mlanda learned to track animals from his uncle, who still leads tourists on hunts.
"He just wanted me to train to become a hunter," Mlanda said.
But Mlanda found his livelihood and passion protecting the animals, sharing his excitement to observe with the tourists he serves. He has to follow strict protocols, as do all licensed to work on government-protected land.
Tent camps set up inside the Serengeti have to move within two years to avoid permanent damage to the landscape. On our quest, the elusive black rhino shows the impact humans have had.
"Today we don't see it because the poachers and illegal hunting," Mlanda explained.
Some groups estimate fewer than 100 wild rhinos exist in Tanzania today. No park boundaries means animals roam free, but so do poachers. Rangers remain on constant patrol.
"We have these rangers who are trying to protect the area from all these problems," said Mlanda. "It's a very difficult job, but they are trying their best."
Extinction trends extend across the globe. As species disappear, so does diversity. Dr. Ana Luz Porzecanski directs the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation in New York.
"There were reports even 20 years ago showing this decline," Porzecanski said. "And in the last few years, there's been massive global reports as well showing that this decline is unprecedented ... and it continues unabated."
On the ground in Tanzania, the United Nations monitors the environment as well as the developing economy.
"We know that with climate change, things are not getting better, they're getting worse," said Zlatan Mlisic, UN Tanzania's resident coordinator. "It's happening everywhere. Seventy percent of natural disasters in Tanzania are attributed to climate change."
In 2016, the UN budgeted $1.7 billion towards 17 Sustainable Development Goals for Tanzania, which focus on supporting the climate and life, both human and animal.
The investments aim to one day eradicate poverty and hunger, and eliminate the driving factors of poaching. A recent donation of ten trucks will help cover identified hotspots.
"I don't have a crystal ball, but we will certainly be there to support ways of economic progress and prosperity and development which is ideally not harmful to the environment," Mlisic said.
With protections in place, beloved animals can continue to grace these wild spaces for generations to come.
Join Jessi on her journey to explore Tanzania's conservation efforts in a special called "Protecting Our Planet: A Global Community." Click here to watch.
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