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Article History

Received: 15 October 2025

Accepted: 20 February 2026

First Online: 16 March 2026

Declarations

:

: All procedures involving human participants complied with the ethical requirements of TAWIRI and COSTECH, including guidelines on voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible data management. The questionnaire design and data handling also adhered to the German Data Forum (RatSWD) Research Ethics Guidelines (2017) for social science research. This research was reviewed and approved by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) Joint Management Research Committee (JMRC) during its 67th meeting held on 17–18 February 2022 at TAWIRI Headquarters (Ref. No. AB.235/325/01/66). Following JMRC approval, the study received national research clearance from the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Research Permit No. 2022-389-NA-2022-021). Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to interviews and questionnaire administration. Participation was voluntary and anonymous, and respondents were informed of the study’s purpose and their right to withdraw at any time. For participants below 18 years of age, consent was obtained from a parent and/or legal guardian prior to data collection.

: No personally identifiable information (images, videos, identifiable quotations, etc.) is included in this manuscript; therefore, consent for publication is not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.