Nairobi Sees Rising Poaching Incidents

Brand new figures from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) shared with CNN show that poaching is on the rise. Seizures of illegal bushmeat — mostly common animals like zebras, elands, and dik diks (a deer-like antelope the size of a small dog) — are set to hit a record high. “The problem is not looking very good at the moment,” explains KWS Director General John Migui Waweru. He says a lot of otherwise decent-paying job opportunities were lost during the pandemic. “So people found alternative ways of one surviving, and that is with subsistence, bushmeat hunting.” Waweru is optimistic that his agency’s efforts can cut down on poaching. He’s focused on shutting down the markets selling bushmeat by testing the meat being sold to determine what animal it comes from. His rangers are also out patrolling national parks and de-snaring poaching hotspots.

SOURCE: CNN