German Africa Prize: Conservationist about to hang his boots after 45

If it isn’t chairing meetings in boardrooms, he must be in the field, doing what he loves the most for the past 45 years.

In one month’s time, the soft-spoken conservationist will fly to Germany to receive this year’s edition of the German Africa Prize (Deutscher Afrika-Preis) which will be bestowed upon him by Dr Wolfgang Schäuble, the president of the Bundestag, Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Germany.

Indeed, this will be a special honour and recognition for an individual who has devoted much of his life to conservation and love for nature.

“I’ll not only be the first conservationist to receive the award but the first Tanzanian to do so as well,” he says.

Bigurube will share the stage with Madagascar’s Clovis Razafimalala, an environmental activist, in receiving the award.

But for Bigurube, the news came as a total surprise, and he was compelled to inquire from the German Africa Foundation as to the criteria used in nominating and bestowing upon him the prestigious award.

“I had no idea I had been proposed for the award. I was just given a call from Germany and told that I am one of two recipients of this year's annual German Africa Award.

“I was informed that it was because of my track record in conservation and what I had achieved throughout my career, something I felt was difficult to deny,” he reveals.

He will be following the footsteps of former Botswana President, the late Quett Ketumile Masire, Ghana’s Mohamed ibn Chambas, Ugandan lawyer Nicholas Opiyo, and Kisumu county governor Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o among others, who were also once honoured with the award.

The German-Africa Award has been awarded since 1993 as a way of promoting peace, democracy, social market economy and human rights.

Among other things, the prize is intended to contribute to the understanding in Germany of Africa and increase awareness of Africa.

Journey to becoming a conservationist

Now working as regional coordinator and Tanzania representative for the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), Bigurube still recalls how the journey to conservation began.

As he puts it, conservation wasn’t considered an attractive career to his peers while going through college, and early in professional life.

The seeds were sown when he studied at Mkwawa High School in Iringa, in 1971 and 1972.

It was actually in Iringa where the journey to becoming a conservationist started.

“I joined Biology Club…and one day we were to go for a tour of Ruaha National Park. This was one exciting trip as I was amazed by what I saw at Ruaha. That’s where I drew the inspiration and passion,” says Bigurube.

Upon finishing High School, like many youths at that time, Bigurube had to go for a one-year compulsory national service (JKT) stint, and once done with the training, he joined the Wildlife Division in 1973 as an intern.

His first posting was at Saadani Game Reserve where he stayed for eight months and joined the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) for a wildlife course.

“We were seventeen of us at the beginning, but some had to quit along the way…partly because of the harsh conditions they encountered during our deployment in the field,” he says, chuckling.

Having completed his course at UDSM, Bigurube rejoined the Wildlife Division and would later be sent to Canada for his Bachelor of Zoology with specialization in Wildlife Management at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, with Canadaian scholarship.
He would later return to the Wildlife Division and was stationed at the research department.

Restoring sanity in Selous

Having stayed for seven years at the division, Bigurube would be dispatched to become the head of Selous Game Reserve and this stint lasted for eight years, a time he is still nostalgic about.

“It was quite a distressing time because poaching was at a peak and everything had gotten out of control. Wildlife, particularly elephants, were being massacred,” he recounts.

It is during that time that he interacted with FZS on ways to curb the poaching in the Selous.

Bigurube was also instrumental in initiating and spearheading Operesheni Uhai in the late 1980s, a crusade that sought to bring poaching in the Selous under control.

This was a joint effort that was well coordinated by the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF) and the police force.

The conservationist says that the late Major General John Butler Walden alias the Black Mamba, and nearly ust as lethal as the feared reptile, was the elephants' saviour, and the poachers' nemesis.

Thanks to his commitment and passion for wildlife, poaching and other related crimes would finally get under control.

Passion for wildlife

His passion for wildlife and his dedication to conserving the country’s natural heritage didn’t go unnoticed as Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) would in 1994 come knocking for his services.

He joined TANAPA as the Director of Conservation, and after 10 years he became the authority’s director general.

It is during his stint at TANAPA that Bigurube stamped his authority and vast knowledge in the conservation world.

First, he was directly involved in the process of raising new conservation areas to national park status.
One of the areas would turn out to be Saadani, a place where his dream of becoming a conservationist was honed.

He would later be part of a team of experts that recommended the expansion of Ruaha National Park from an area of 10,000 to 20,000 square kilometres. Lake Manyara, Arusha and Mt Kilimanjaro National parks were the next attractions that he also suggested be expanded.

Defining moments

Bigurube’s major achievement worth of writing home about while working for TANAPA was his decision of purchasing three new small aircraft to boost security and wildlife monitoring in the parks.

“Such aircraft are very important in tracking, monitoring and surveillance activities…the small planes were our first and fast responders,” he says.
The purchased aircraft include a four-seater Cessna 182, Cessna 206 (six-seater) and a small caravan.

“This was indeed a defining moment for the organization as we were determined to underscore our ability in fighting poaching and other related crimes.”

“Seeing the aircraft parked at the Arusha Airport’s apron puts a smile on my face,” he chuckles.
The three small planes had at that time cost the organization $2.3million.

His narration of how he endorsed the purchase of the small aircraft takes him back to 1982 while working in the Selous.

Here he was, flying a Cessna 102 owned by the Wildlife Division when he crash-landed in a dense forest, on his way to Dar es Salaam from Matembwe, Morogoro.

Bigurube still recalls how he cheated death in the plane mishap. He says the aircraft was used to ferry salaries for staff working in the Selous when it developed mechanical failure midair.

He narrates: I was forced to crash-land in a forest somewhere in Kisarawe, Coast region, luckily I got off the plane unscathed.”

Tired and weary, Bigurube who was now a guest to sounds of some unknown creatures inside the thick forest was now facing the dilemma of either remaining inside the mangled aircraft and die of hunger and thirst or get off the plane to look for water.

His conservationist instincts led him to a small pond that was used by warthogs for a sip of water and later retired back to the aircraft as it was getting dark.

“The plane’s battery had died which means I had no communication with my office and nobody knew my whereabouts at that moment. I, therefore, had to spend the night inside the aircraft,” he recalls.

The following morning, he heard voices of women chattering from a distance and tried to follow them.

His resilience paid off as he was able to spot the women albeit in an absurd manner.

“The two women were taken aback momentarily. They couldn’t easily figure out how I survived the crash and a night in the wild.”

He recalls having been served with sweet potatoes for breakfast before he was traced by his office.

He still recalls how his wife told him to quit after surviving the incident.
Even though none of his children has shown an interest in filling in his shoes, the conservationist acknowledges appreciation he gets from his family members as to his indelible career achievements.

Safeguarding the future

Bigurube acknowledges that this is the perfect time to bring youthful energy and experience in protecting and conserving Africa's diverse and enthralling flora and fauna, urging young men and women in Tanzania and across Africa to take up the challenge and be the guardians of the continent’s wildlife and ecosystems.

“Commitment and passion is what has kept me grounded throughout these 45 years. This is what it takes to become a conservationist,” he counsels.

Even as he sets his sights on bagging the German award and probable retirement, Bigurube is determined to remain an ardent lover of nature.