Poaching is a huge threat to the survival of wildlife worldwide. It hurts my heart to see animals suffer from wire snares, poisoning and other indiscriminate methods. Poaching, however, is a symptom, not a root cause. If we don’t address the real cause, I believe we’re chasing our tails. Poverty is the root cause.
@spike.t your valuable and beautiful Sable aren’t being snared because the Chinese are using their horns as an aphrodisiac. Poaching is on the increase because people are starving due to the drought and are desperate for protein. The government isn’t helping them because it lacks the resources to do so.
Why? Like most post-colonial African countries, it’s still enthralled with Marxist philosophy and collectivism, but that’s not all of it. They’ve combined economic models with the three-part scourge of tribalism, nepotism and corruption. This situation means the rural people live on the edge in the best of times. A total crop failure and a society with no ability to help means people starve.
I’m not smart enough to know how to fix this. Certainly the safari industry has helped immensely to elevate rural people from the depths of poverty. Ours is a superior model that incentivizes conservation when times are relatively good. It’s not enough when times are bad. If African nations fail to create economies that provide their people with basic food security, I’m afraid for people, wildlife and wild places.
