As 2 locals face poaching charges, conservation groups say man who actually killed cecil the lion was an american trophy hunter. This may sound cruel, inhuman, no human rights, etc. Poaching is alive and well in americas forests, oceans, and mountains, straining the resources of our nations game wardens and other law enforcement officers and decimating animal species at alarming rates. It was a punishment unheardof in its severity, especially in a country with notoriously low rates of conviction for alleged wildlife crimes. Wildlife poachers in kenya to face death penalty the. There has been poaching in af rica since antiquity people hunted in areas claimed by other states or reserved for royalty, or they killed protected animals. Death in china, one dollar in africa the irony of ivory poaching penalties by sharon van wyk 23 october 20 in china the penalty for poaching an elephant is death.
Wildlife poachers in kenya could face the death penalty. Conservationists take aim at poachers africa renewal. So far, kenya is the only african country set to officially implement the death penalty as punishment for illegal poaching. The race to stop africas elephant poachers science. Zakouma national park was home to one of the largest elephant populations in central africa until poaching exploded in 2008. Poach all the squirrels you wish toleave my hippos or rhinos or doggers be.
Africa s lion populations have also been affected by poaching. The team, made up of disadvantaged vegan women, was created by the international anti poaching foundation and operates in zimbazi valley, africa s poaching frontline. West virginia has lower fines but imposes stiff jail terms for poaching offenses. If poachers kill off such predators as lions for their pelts then the level of prey rises which can cause a famine due to lack of food because there are more animals eating the food then there normally would be. Yes, for a developing country such as africa which some are still backwards, shoot to kill policy is needed to mitigate these bunch of rogue bloody merchants for now. The ban on international trade was introduced in 1989 by cites convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora after years of unprecedented poaching. As the rate of animal poaching continues to rise, conservationists have begun calling for stronger laws and deterrents to wildlife crimes. Last year, kenya announced that it would set the death penalty as punishment for illegal poaching. Since 1994, they have been reduced by 42 percent, and the species is now vulnerable to extinction. Vulnerable wild animals are pushed closer to the edge of extinction when their natural population. Brutal rhino poaching methods have escalated in south africa, which is currently home to about 70 per cent of the remaining rhinos in the world.
Some 93% of south africans think rhino poaching is a problem for all south africans, according to a wildaid survey. Record numbers are being brutally attacked and killed for their horns and if the number of deaths continues to exceed the number of calves born, black and white rhinos will soon be extinct. In pennsylvania, while poaching is considered a summary offense with no chance of imprisonment, lawmakers are actively pursuing stiffer penalties and fines. The issue of poaching is not a simple one to solve as traditional methods to counter poaching have not taken into the account the poverty levels that drive some poachers and the lucrative profits made by organized crime syndicates who deal in illegal wildlife trafficking. Africa s fight against elephant, rhino poachers boosted by new law, better tech, more training fox news fox news. In fact, poaching in af rica has led to the demise of some endangered species, as well as the addition of some species to the endangered species list. Several desperate efforts to present solutions to rhino poaching are currently being explored. South african officials step up rhinopoaching punishments. Rangers were close enough when they heard the shots that they were able to catch up to the men with. Convictions for poaching arent always easy to come by, but the authorities are fairly confident that their case is strong this time because of how the poachers were apprehended.
The new penalties have been introduced following the repealing of statutory instrument 65. New laws with stiff penalties, more military training for rangers and new technology like drones with thermal cameras. South africa is home to 80% of the worlds rhinos and they are a key attraction for the tourism industry. Poaching an endangered species vs a common animal in your area. Learn more about the poaching crisis from african wildlife foundations new infographic. Incidents like these have amplified calls for poaching to be treated as seriously as drug smuggling and terrorism, with which, criminologists point out, it is often linked logistically and financially. Africa s rhino population today is estimated at 25,000, but if poaching continues at current rates there may be no rhino left in the wild by 2025. Three poachers were recently sentenced to 25 years in prison for their crimes, a punishment that is stronger than any issued previously. Kenyas death penalty plan for poachers has stirred a. I actually come from south africa and poaching is a big issue in. The wjc aims to encourage the prosecution of these crimes, increase risks for perpetrators and, in the long run.
Kenya to enforce capital punishment for wildlife poaching. Africa is getting tougher in its fight against poaching. Poachers have also disturbed amazing studies on many creatures in africa, sometimes wiping out an entire study group of animals, including tigers and elephants. Increasing penalties for wildlife crime, kenya the. In other areas, like south africa, a lot of rhinos have actually been airlifted out of poaching prone areas and into safer locales, such as botswana, where poaching is rare. Reduce poaching of elephants across africa through deployment of anti poaching teams, providing supplies and transport to support these teams in the field, and innovative community engagement to support anti poaching efforts and catalyze interest in elephant conservation. The government in the republic of congo has taken steps to reverse the trend, starting with increased punishment for poaching crimes. The great rhino population conservation gains of the last two decades will be wiped soon at this pace. Nairobi, kenya africa is getting tougher in its fight against poaching. Actually, illegal poaching started in the 1600s but it wasnt dealt with as a harsh offence, the punishment was usually imprisonment or a fine.
The international antipoaching foundation has a structured military like approach to conservation, employing tactics and technology generally reserved for the battlefield. Poaching is affecting africa because it lowers the predatorprey ratio. There are around 7 billion people in this world as of now do we really need them all. Now, the government is trying to fasttrack the law into passing. We have animal species declining every day and 2 most important reasons b. Poaching in the united states pennsylvania state university.
Kenyas ol pejeta conservancy was home to sudan, the worlds last male northern white rhino who recently passed away. Poachers have stepped up their game, and central africa has seen a major increase in poaching activity over the past several years. Some of the european big game hunters who came to africa in the 1800s were guilty of poaching and some were actually tried and found guilty by the african kings on whose land they had hunted without permission. What is the punishment for poachers in africa answers. Peasants usually did not have weapons, skills or the extra time to hunt, so in order to provide food for their families they devised. Elephants and rhinos are also threatened by habitat loss, as nowadays, they only occupy about 19 percent of their historical ranges in africa. While africa is most often known as the poaching capital of the world, that doesnt mean that this horrific act does not occur in other places, specifically here in.
These rhino poachers deserve the harshest punishment. This month, tichaona mutyairi, a zimbabwe rhino poacher with the infamous mazhongwe gang, was sentenced to 17 years in jail after being captured during an exchange of. Yet, in the past decade it has experienced unprecedented and horrific poaching now at around animals a year. The census also reports that about 352 000 elephants are left in africa which means the elephant population will soon be decimated if poaching continues at the. Think poaching is a problem only in the jungles of asia, the savannas of africa. Cecil the lion illegally poached by american hunter in. False reports claim kenya considered the death penalty for. In vietnam, a myth that rhino horn could cure cancer contributed to massive poaching in south africa however horn now appears to be used and given as a status symbol. This report by the law library of congress provides information on wildlife trafficking and wildlife poaching in botswana, central african republic, kenya, mozambique, south africa, and tanzania. Poaching is rampant because the probability of being caught is extremely low, ms. Lawmakers and wildlife experts will gather thursday in washington to discuss ways to curb poaching in africa.
Africa s rhinos are in trouble africa s rhinos are at a tipping point. The associated press reports that the punishment was broken down into two major crimes illegal hunting and possession of illegal firearms. Botswanawidely considered a safe haven for elephants in africa appears to be suffering from its own surge in poaching, according to aerial survey work published today in. My last post related to poaching, which seems like forever ago, i talked about poaching in africa. How to stop poaching and protect endangered species. Hunting for ivory was banned in 1989, but poaching of elephants continues in many parts of africa stricken by economic decline. But, according to kenyas minister for tourism and wildlife, the punishment of life in prison. Shoot to kill thorny issue save the rhino international.
What is the punishment for poaching animals answers. During this time, the right to hunt was limited to landowners and nobility. Last year, the kenyan government announced a bold proposition to protect its vulnerable wildlife. Poaching, in law, the illegal shooting, trapping, or taking of game, fish, or plants from private property or from a place where such practices are specially reserved or forbidden. History of poaching history or poaching howstuffworks. Illegal wildlife trade and poaching wwfaustralia wwf. These efforts led to an 85 per cent reduction in rhino poaching and a 78 per cent reduction in elephant poaching, respectively, in 2017 compared to when poaching. In the 1980s, an estimated 100,000 elephants were being killed per year and up to 80% of herds were lost in some regions. Dont let africa s majestic wildlife become history.
Africas fight against elephant, rhino poachers boosted by. At current poaching rates, elephants, rhinos and other african wildlife may be gone within our lifetime. The new penalties have been introduced following the repealing of statutory instrument 65 of last year. Death in china, one dollar in africa the irony of i.
African governments and nongovernmental organizations. Swaakgoldman told africa renewal in an interview at her office in the hague. Poaching is a major existential threat to numerous wild organisms around the world and is an important contributor to biodiversity loss. Of 317 arrests related to rhino poaching in 2015, for. Death thats the easiest, fairest or best possible solution for poaching why.
Wildlife poachers in kenya will face the death penalty, the countrys tourism and wildlife minister has reportedly announced. More than 1,100 of the animals were killed across africa in 2016, leaving barely 20,000 white rhinos, classified as near threatened by the international union for conservation of. Stiffer penalties for poaching in zimbabwe kruger park news. Africa gets tough in war on poachers south china morning. Recently, 4 poachers found out firsthand just how serious the penalties are. Some of the decline is the result of habitat ross which reduces access to prey, but much of it is due to poaching. New laws with stiff penalties, more military training for rangers and new technology, including drones with thermal cameras, are all.
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