Review of appealed wildlife cases

Wildlife crime remains one of the most significant threats to wildlife conservation in Tanzania. In recent years, the country has taken several reforms in wildlife legislations, prosecution and judicial system to strengthen its response toward these crimes. Before these reforms, it was found that about 75 % of wildlife-related cases appealed in the higher courts of Tanzania were being overturned and therefore offenders being released. This study used a systematic review approach to investigate the trend of these appeals, with a high focus on the main reasons for the acquittals. We reviewed a total of 772 judgements of the appealed wildlife cases decided by the High Court and the Court of Appeal between 2010 and 2024, available in TANZLII and WILDLEX databases. The analysis revealed significant fluctuations in the trends of appealed cases over time, linked to legislative changes, institutional reforms, and prosecutorial strategies. The offences most frequently appealed were unlawful possession of government trophies, particularly bushmeat, elephant tusks and rhino horns. Overall, the majority of appeals (63 %) resulted in acquittals. The main reasons for acquittals are related to procedural errors such as lack of consent and the certificate conferring jurisdiction for trial courts, failure to follow legal procedures for the disposal of perishable exhibits, broken chains of custody in handling evidence, unlawful searches, and reliance on unreliable cautioned statements. These results highlight the weaknesses in investigation, prosecution, inter-agency collaboration and judicial practice, which continue to undermine the enforcement of Tanzania’s wildlife laws. Addressing these gaps through enhanced training, stronger institutional coordination, and improved forensic and evidentiary capacity is essential to strengthen conviction rates and deter wildlife offenders.