“Poaching of big game is going down in most countries,” says Didi Wamukoya, senior manager of Wildlife Law Enforcement at African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), noting that poaching in Kenya and Tanzania of large iconic species for the international wildlife trade is now very rare. Elephant population numbers in those two countries are now increasing. It is a particularly dramatic turnaround for Tanzania, which lost some 60 percent of its elephants within a decade. Wamukoya, who heads AWF’s capacity training of law enforcement agencies to prosecute cases of wildlife trafficking, warns that criminals adapt. While elephants are faring better – also in part because major markets such as China have banned domestic trade in ivory — gang trafficking to Asia are switching to other species, such as lions for their body parts, pangolins, and abalone. Pangolins, which have been identified as a potential source of coronaviruses, are the most trafficked wild mammals in the world.
SOURCE: AFRICA.COM
More Stories
Establishing Manufacturing Nodes across the Continent and Leveraging on the AfCFTA
The Agritech Innovators Bringing Transformative Change to the Continent’s Green Economy
Women in Nigeria Lead the Charge in Plastic Waste Innovation
Tunisia’s President is Looking for Ways to Avoid a Bailout Package Worth nearly $2bn
A Decision that Brought Lagos to a Standstill
The European Union Engages African Nations to Secure the Supply of Vital Battery Minerals
The Unintended Consequence of Lusaka’s Decision to Allow Partial Withdrawal of Pensions
Ghana’s Economy and its IMF Engagements
Addis Ababa is Likely to Require a more Comprehensive Package of Debt Restructuring
Kenya’s Central Bank Parks Digital Currency Talk
One of Africa’s Most-celebrated Authors and Playwrights has Died Aged 81
Ethiopian Airliner Accused of Discrimination