Wild dogs invade Tanzanian airport

Residents have been asked to clean up the airport environs

Airport officials in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, are battling to contain an invasion by stray wild dogs.

The animals move onto the runway at night in search of rats and are a major safety concern.

The authorities have built a concrete wall around the airport but this has not stopped them.

Last year, Tanzania was involved in a row after it purchased a radar system from the UK, which some said was too costly for an aid-dependent country.

Tall bushes

The BBC's Premy Kibanga in Dar es Salaam says the authorities at Tanzania's main airport have been battling with the menace for three years now.

The area that surrounds the airport is surrounded by tall bushes and residential houses.

Airport commander Lawrence Mtembe is asking people living near the airport not to leave rubbish lying around in case it attracts the wild animals.

Commander Mtembei told a community meeting they suspect the bushes and crowded houses could be the source of the rats that attract the wild dogs.

He has now asked them to help control the pests by clearing bushes and keeping a clean environment.