Lake Rukwa crocs for culling
Kilasa Mtambalike, Mbeya
Daily News; Friday,October 19, 2007 @00:03

THE government has issued hunting licences to four firms to hunt up 269 crocodiles on Lake Rukwa in an effort to reduce the number of the killer reptiles that affect human activities on the lake.

The Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mrs Zabein Mhita, told public rallies at Makongorosi and Mkwajuni in Chunya district, Mbeya region that the move has been taken to smoothen human activities on the lake.

“We have been informed that on Lake Rukwa there are too many crocodiles that are making it difficult for people to carry on their normal activities. We have taken measures to reduce the number of crocodiles
by issuing more licenses for crocodile huntingâ€, she said.

Mrs Mhita was speaking during the tour of Mbeya region by Prime Minister Edward Lowassa.

Located on the South Western regions of Rukwa and Mbeya, Lake Rukwa is the fourth largest lake in the country. It is rich in wildlife, boasting the largest concentration of crocodiles and hippopotamus.

Permits to hunt crocodile have been issued repeatedly for Lake Rukwa and almost 400 have been killed from 1994 to 1996.

More than half of the lake lies within the newly extended Katavi national Park in Rukwa Region.

The lake is cyclical in nature in terms of size caused by the varying inflow of streams. Rivers that flow in include Rungwa, Songwe, Lukwite, Luiche and Wuku.

Although the eastern side of the lake is backed up against the eastern side of the rift valley with deep water, the western shore of the lake is shallow and ideal crocodile habitat.
Much of the lake is part of the Uwanda Game Reserve.