Mweka College

Back in my office I finished plans for a publicity drive in the province so that no one should be in any doubt whatsoever that the government's policy was to prepare the territory as quickly as possible for a viable independence as laid down by the UN charter. We would go neither too fast nor too slowly, but would continue the present steady progress based on the sound economic development needed to finance each step forward.

For a start, I decided to attack centres of civilization, namely the secondary, middle and even primary schools, where convenient, by talking to them and bombarding them with attractively produced posters and leaflets. Specialist training schools such as the natural resources school in Tengeru and the game college at Mweka were also included, and I made a point of visiting every police unit and prison, whose captive audiences were particularly appreciative.

Putting his enthusiasm into action, he became the first principal of the College of African Wildlife Management at Mweka, Tanzania, [which WWF has supported since 1963]. In the next 30 years this institute was to train 2,500 game wardens from 25 nations.

It [the Government] has also helped to set up near Moshi, a centre where game wardens and rangers from all over East Africa, and, perhaps from further afield as well, are to be trained in the new science of wildlife management. This will open next month at Mweka, under Dr. Hugh Lamprey. Most of its money is coming from the United States Government through the Agency for International Development and from the American Wildlife Leadership Foundation, and with some German and British support.

A two year course is planned for Africans who will replace Europeans in parks and game reserves under the programme of Africanisation which is sweeping over eastern Africa. All those connected with this College of Wildlife Management, as it is called, seem encouraged by the calibre and enthusiasm of the candidates coming forward for training.

If I [Iain Douglas-Hamilton] ever needed advice on my work I could now have stimulating discussion with my official supervisor Hugh Lamprey and the other scientists who lived at Seronera, 130 miles away by road. Hugh, a pioneer in the study of big game ecology, was director of the Serengeti Research Institute which had succeeded the Serengeti Research Project. He was happy to return to research after heading the Mweka College of Wildlife Management for training young Africans to become Park Game Wardens.

a young Maasai graduate from the Wildlife Management College at Mweka, filled Myles's position as Deputy Chief Warden in charge of all fieldwork.