- Human habitation is forbidden in the park with the exception of staff for the Tanzanian National Parks authority
- Due to its biodiversity and ecological significance, the park has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
- As a national park, it is designated as a Category II protected area under the system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature o This means it needs to be managed( through a legal instrument or other means) to protect the ecosystem or ecological processes as a whole
- Big issue is bush meat trade o Hunting of lions was big issue o Made them very scarce o People were hunting out of a state of poverty and a history of hunting o Cheetahs, lions, elephants, impalas
§ Tanzania has lost 2 / 3 of elephants in 5 years- Issue of corruption within hunting protection( inside trade etc)- A General Management Plan( 2006-2016) has been created in a sustainable manner and it provides guidance on how to execute the various activities within the park under 4 main themes: o Ecosystem management o Outreach services o Tourism management o Park operations
- Major management concerns include: o Poaching o Tourism pressure o Wildfires o Lack of adequate capacity in resource monitoring o Water:
§ Despite numerous sources of water during the rain season, there is only one river, which is transnational
§ This river faces multiple human-meditated cross-boundary threats