Poaching inquiry
Poaching in Africa by Edoardo & Jacob
What is poaching ?
Poaching is the illegal killing and trapping of wild and endangered animals all over the world. The poachers usually sell the animals to traders who transport the animals and animal products all over the world. Poachers are often poor people who are only trying to provide for their family. Poaching is having devastating effects on wildlife with many in danger of extinction in the next 30 years or less. Many of these species are killed for very small portions of their body such as horns, tusks, teeth and claws, which is why poachers kill a huge amount of animals for a very small amount of their product, for example on average around 100 elephants are killed each day for their ivory as they will make around $1,500 for 350 grams of ivory. There are many people and organisations that are committed to stopping poaching all over the world. If we don't stop poaching many endangered animals will go extinct, many of them will be in your lifetime.
The Effects On Wildlife
Elephants The effects on Elephants from poaching are terrible with over 20-30,000 Elephants killed by poachers each year only for their tusks. Although Elephants are also killed by farmers as they destroy crops, houses and even food storage units. Elephants are one of the most highly affected species from poaching in Africa. They are in danger of extinction from poachers who will do almost anything to catch and kill them including killing rangers who get in their way.
Rhino’s are also majorly affected. Their numbers have dropped from around 500,000 in the 20th century to the 29,000 that are alive now. Their numbers have dropped due to a huge amount of poaching and habitat loss all play a part in the decrease of their population, they are often caught in snares which can dig into their legs to the bone. Rhino’s are on the verge of extinction as they are a prized animal for poachers and big game hunters.
Pangolins have nearly gone extinct from the trade of their scales and meat. They are very easy to catch as they are slow moving peaceful animals that will curl up in a ball when threatened. They are the most trafficked animal in the world. If nothing is done they will be extinct in less than 20 years.
Lions are now being poached on a very large scale. They don’t run away as they are used to being the top predator, so it is very easy for poachers to catch them as they do not try to hide from anyone because usually people such as tourists will only watch and take photos of them. They are also killed in rituals by tribes as the people often have to kill a Lion to become an adult . This does not have a very high impact on them as it will only happen every few years.
Other animals Impala, Zebra, Wildebeest, Bufalo, Baboons and many other animals are being affected by poaching, they are often caught in snares made of wires sometimes even barbed wire which catch the animals alive, so they can catch fresh meat on a much larger scale then hunters can while hunting on foot. This is having a devastating effect on these species and they are in danger of extinction in the next hundred years.
What Is Being Done To stop Poaching In Africa
In Africa they have trained more anti-poaching patrols, campaigning against the illegal wildlife trade and helping the communities who are putting effort into stopping this. A law has been put in, that if you are caught poaching illegally you could go to jail or they pay a huge fine. In South Africa there are special drones that are flown and the camera can sense movement of the poachers and that also can see the poachers and where they are. After poachers are located if they didn’t realize that they were found they would keep going, but a ranger patrol would be on their way with guns to try to stop the poachers. The drones are put in the air over those heavily-trafficked areas, and, using infrared cameras, send footage back to drone operators, according to the Air Shepherd website When poachers are spotted, the operators can then alert some nearby Rangers to intercept them. In short these drones are very handy to the Rangers. Rangers are usually working in squads, they use night vision devices, a vehicle, such as a jeep and other off-roaders, semi-automatic rifles , bulletproof vests, sniffing dogs to fight the poachers and drones.
Who is on the front lines to stop poaching in Africa
Rangers are putting their lives on the line to stop poaching in Africa, Rangers' lives are harsh, death is at very high possibility as a Ranger, both from wild animals but mostly poachers. Poachers kill and toruture the rangers if they capture them. Rangers sometimes have no proper pay, food and equipment. In 2004 150 Rangers died from poachers who killed them, in one occasion a Ranger was injured and the poachers got hold of him, they kicked him in the head to death. In short Rangers live a hard life, but they do it for the good of the animals, which is good because they are saving species that are very close to extinction. Over the past decade civilian anti-poaching forces have been all over Africa.
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Why do people buy wild animal products from Africa
Some of the wild animals that are poached are kept alive and sold as pets, most of the animal trade is illegal, for example most of the pet snakes in China are illegal, some other countries in Asia believe that if you make a drink out of rhino horns it gives you superpowers, although it is part of their beliefs it can all be proven wrong by science, as none of this is of course true. Animals in Africa are mostly killed by poachers and then shipped off to other countries illegally, poachers do this because they are poor and want to keep their family alive so not all the poachers do it because they want to get rich. It's because they want to save their family from starvation. Elephant and rhino ivory are very popular items for chinese markets as the make jewelry out of these animals horns which can sell for over
Where are the animal products taken to ?
Wildlife crime is a big business, run by international networks. Wildlife and animal parts are trafficked much like illegal drugs and guns. Poachers sometimes kill animals to sell them in the black market locally, which are then sold globally. A lot of the animals that the poachers kill are traded from Africa to Asia, in Asia the black market trade is very high. Most poachers do this to earn a living, but this is still bad for the animals. Each year millions of animals are traded illegally, the booming business gains a multi-billion dollar profit with all the money put together. There are a lot of people such as Rangers, even military trained troops that try to stop and locate the trafficking of wild life but a lot of the trafficking can slip past their sight.
Who pays the poachers to kill the animals?
The Black Market and Bushmeat trade are some of the many organisations that buy animals from the poachers. These organisations make a huge profit from the poachers. Many Blackmarket and Bushmeat traders are very rich and due to corruption are above the law, they can, and often will frame other people if they are exposed. The Black market and Bushmeat sellers pay traffickers to transport their goods into Thailand, China and many other countries all over the world. They will then sell them to people and illegal stores. These people keep the circle going by making it possible to buy things like this. Which is why we need to stop traffickers and the blackmarket and bushmeat buyers just as much as the poachers as they are the main reason poachers kill the animals.
What is the bushmeat trade ?
The bushmeat trade is a market that sells the meat of protected and endangered animals all over the world. The poachers mainly sell their meat in local blackmarkets and usually do not sell their products globally. The bushmeat trade in Africa targets animals like impala, zebra, buffalo and many other animals for cheap meat. They catch these animals on a huge scale as their meat is easier to get then farmed meat and sells for a much larger price.
What effects will stopping poaching have on Africa’s economy
Poaching has many negative effects on Africa's economy such as decreased tourism, which is one of their countries main incomes as it provides many people with jobs like rangers, safari guides, hotels owners and so many more jobs. Stopping poaching would be great for Africa’s wildlife, but the main impact would be on their economy as it would even provide ex poachers with jobs protecting the animals they once kill. Over all it would affect Africa enormously in so many positive ways for animals and people.
Our Expert Jamie Joseph
Our expert's name is Jamie. She is the founder of the Saving the wild movement, she is putting her life on the line to save these animals as the kingpins will kill anyone who gets in their way. She was born in Zimbabwe in South Africa. She began protecting poached animals in 2014 after returning home from New Zealand where she had worked as an environmental journalist and campaigned for the Global Poverty Project and a ban against shark finning. When she returned she soon set up saving the wild which is set on stopping the Poaching kingpins or dealers who make more money per gram for rhino horns and ivory than diamonds or cocaine. Ever since she set up Saving the wild she has been hunting down the kingpins and writing about the lives of the rangers and wildlife vets who are on the front lines of stopping them. Every day she is putting her life on the line to stop and expose these people who are doing so much damage to animals all over the world. We need more people like Jamie if we are ever to stop poaching.
Our first interview of the with Jamie
Hello Edoardo and Jacob
Great to hear from you. I'm chasing a bad guy right now, a boss Rhino poacher, but I will answer your questions as soon as I get a gap.
Hope you have a fun weekend!
Jamie
Our second interview
Where did you grow up and did it have anything to do with your interest in wildlife?
I grew up between Zimbabwe and South Africa and spent my childhood in the wild parks of
both countries, and so I’ve had a deep appreciation for these amazing animals since I was
just a little girl. Animals have all these superpowers that are completely out of human reach,
and so being in the wild is something I experience in a state of discovery and awe.
What can we do to protect these amazing animals from poaching?
Fundraising and awareness/advocacy through your school is very important. Have a look
here from a school in Wellington who helped us save rhinos, and this project was
spearheaded by my 9 year old friend Juliet:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/118185824/wellington-school-gets-visit-from-
international-wildlife-warrior
The other thing is to come to Kenya and visit us and spend time with the animals we are
saving. Tourism is an important contributor to conservation. Saving the Wild supports an
extraordinary wildlife corridor called Kimana, near Amboseli National Park, home to some of
the last great elephant tuskers, of which there are less than 20 left.
How does it make you feel when you see orphaned and dead Elephants, Rhinos, and all the other species that are affected by poaching?
Seeing these precious animals butchered for rhino horns, or ivory, or lion paws, all these
wildlife parts that nobody needs is absolutely devastating. It makes me angry and sad and it
motivates me to fight harder.
Have you ever raised an orphaned animal?
No, that would be a full time commitment, however I have spent time with them in
between assignments. It’s a window into emotional intelligence and the incredible bond
that is created between animals and humans when there is true love and compassion.
What do you do on your average day when you are in Africa?
Sometimes I run an intelligence network, working with police, rangers and informers to
track down and expose bad guys, the worst of the worst…the kingpins / crime bosses and
corrupt judges and lawyers. And other days I am in the wild, and it can vary from working
alongside vets treating rhinos, to saving elephants from a terrible drought. Last year for
July/Aug/Sept I was in Mana Pools and we were saving elephants from the worst drought in
history due to climate change. For the first time in my life we had to feed wild animals.
Every week we brought in trucks of grass just to keep them alive until the first rains of
December. And again, I saw how during a time of crisis, they showed such grace and
humility and kindness to others. Humans have so much to learn from these gentle giants.
When did you start writing the Saving the wildlife website?
In 2014 I began writing stories from the frontline in Africa and publishing to
savingthewild.com
Where do you see African wildlife in the next 50 years?
Honestly, the state of Africa’s wildlife is really in crisis. Most species are declining due to not
just poaching but also habitat loss – there are just too many humans and little consideration
for wildlife. Worse, this year, we are dealing with covid-19 and the loss of tourism. What will
save the future of the wild are young people who will grow up to hold leadership positions
and make the right choices, putting the planet before profit. We need a new wave of
conservation, before it really is too late.
What is your favourite animal?
I have a few. I love elephants for their kindness and compassion and the way they treat their
family – they represent the best of humanity. But to be in the presence of a rhino, an iconic
species that has walked planet earth for 50 million years and survived the ice age is like
sharing space with a modern day dinosaur.
More here: https://www.newbig5.com/jamie-joseph/
What got you interested in wildlife protection for a career?
It was a calling. I grew up in the wilds of Africa, and immigrated to NZ in 2009. But in 2013
when Africa’s poaching crisis spun out of control, I packed my bags and returned to the
motherland to fight for the last of the elephants and rhinos.
Fertile Question
What should be done to stop poaching in Africa
There is no one thing that can stop poaching but with everything that is being done there is a chance that poaching can be stopped in the next 100 or so years as the number of animals killed has slowly decreased. But one thing we have noticed is the need for more anti poaching patrols, by training more people like the Rangers and even using the military. What is being done now is great, there are poaching patrols, and lots of other locals that are helping to stop and catch the poachers. I think that also someone that has the power and authority over the different areas where poaching is popular, should step up and start managing and funding the expenses to stop poaching. The rangers are also having to remove animal horns and tusks giving the poachers another reason not to kill them The second thing that is just as important is to shut down the markets that supply the buyers with the illegal animal products. By doing this we can stop the suppliers from being able to transport their goods overseas. In doing so stopping the suppliers need to pay the poachers for killing and trapping the animals. There is also the need to rehabilitate the poachers and provide them with jobs, their children with education and their villages with supplies like water, food sources such as cattle, vegetables and other food resources. With all of these things we may be able to reduce or completely eliminate poaching in Africa and all over the world.
Works Cited
Actman, Jani. “Poaching Animals, Explained.” Poaching Animals, Facts and Information, 12 Feb. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reference/poaching-animals/#close.
“Corruption in the Courtroom: A Sordid Tale of Gambling, Poachers and Payoffs.” Saving the Wild, www.savingthewild.com/2019-end-year-report/.
“Elephant Poaching Costs African Economies US $25 Million Per Year in Lost Tourism Revenue – Study.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 1 Nov. 2016, www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/elephant-poaching-costs-african-economies-us-25-million-per-year-in-lost-tourism-revenue-study.
“Endangered Species Conservation.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, Worldwildlife.org/.
“Illegal Wildlife Trade.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/threats/illegal-wildlife-trade.
“JAMIE JOSEPH.” Saving the Wild, www.savingthewild.com/jamie-joseph/.
Neme, Laurel. “For Rangers on the Front Lines of Anti-Poaching Wars, Daily Trauma.” National Geographic, 27 June 2014, www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/6/140627-congo-virunga-wildlife-rangers-elephants-rhinos-poaching/.
“Stop Wildlife Crime.” WWF, wwf.panda.org/our_work/wildlife/wildlife_trade/wildlife_crime_initiative/stop_wildlife_crime/