Anti-poaching activist from Tanzania receives WWF award

The 2012 WWF-Sweden annual enviromental prize, JIHDE award winner retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Venance Bruno Tossi, receiving his Diploma from the honourable Minister of Natural Resouurces and Tourism, Ammbasador Hamisi Kagasheki in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania.

Tanzanian conservationist and anti-poaching activist – Venance Bruno Tossi has been rewarded with WWF Sweden´s annual environmental prize, Jihde award. 

The award from "Elisabeth Jihde´s Memorial Fund" was founded in 1999 for rewarding important conservation efforts in memory of Elisabeth Jihde, a Swedish woman deeply involved in nature conservation in Africa. – It is a real honour to receive this award, and it comes at a time when we need all the support we can get, says Tossi. 

Tossi has demonstrated tireless successful efforts to combat the illegal hunting and ivory trade in Tanzania.

 "Through his fearless commitment and efforts to combat poaching and his innovation in the education of young park rangers, Tossi has shown unique leadership. His work bridges generations of experience in the fight against today's organized illegal trade in ivory. 

This cutting edge approach has opened new opportunities in the efforts to save Africa's elephants". Tossi has a long and solid experience in conservation work in wildlife sector in Tanzania. He recently retired from his previous work and is now leading efforts as a consultant of law enforcement, capacity building for the Ministry of natural Resources and Tourism. 

He is now mapping the ivory trade, train park rangers in anti-poaching patrolling and establish a network so that courts, park rangers and other authorities can coordinate their work around the ivory issue. The work focuses on the Southern Tanzanian elephant populations in the Selous-Mikumi, Selous- Niassa wildlife corridors, Tanzania National parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. 

The 2011 aerial census shows the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem is the most vulnerable area for poaching however - The Government of Tanzania has decided to take a tough stand against illegal hunting and trade in ivory, which WWF supports says Håkan Wirtén, Secretary General WWF -Sweden. 

The award was presented to Mr Tossi on Saturday, October 13th 2012 in Dar es Salaam by the Tanzanian Minister - Natural Resources & Tourism Hon. Hamisi Kagasheki.