Africa’s poaching crisis: ‘saving the wild’ quotes of 2014
By Jamie Joseph
If Africa’s poaching crisis were a novel it would read like a chilling thriller filled with penurious poachers and Asian King Pins, determined conservationists and dirty politicians, pimps and prostitutes, war lords and white collar criminals, and rangers risking their lives against all odds to protect what little wildlife we have left.
Reading over the stories I wrote this year, from interviews with global thought leaders to my assignments living amongst the wild things, pulls a hazy lens into the sharp focus of hindsight. Rhino poaching is at a record high, we’re losing up to 100 elephants a day, and I have no idea what the future holds.
But what I do know is that the solutions to ending this vile trade are out there, and with more public pressure, and a lot of political will, we can navigate our way out of this wildlife genocide.
Below is a selection of ‘saving the wild’ quotes from 2014.
Photo credit: Brent Stirton
Damien Mander, Founder of International Anti Poaching Foundation
“If under any other scenario, armed units were to cross international borders and violently take out high profile targets, it would be a front-page incident or act of terrorism. Yet this environmental terrorism happens daily in the poaching of high target species in many parts of Africa, and we sit here struggling to justify to the international community that rangers need the same access to training and equipment as our soldiers do.”
“Unfortunately, much of the equipment desperately needed to protect what wildlife we have left is collecting dust in military warehouses, while the conservation industry struggles along, trying to replicate technology that was superseded decades ago.”
Photo credit: Robyn Preston
Dr Jane Goodall, Founder of Jane Goodall Institute
“There is that saying, we haven’t inherited the planet from our parents, we borrowed it from our children. But borrow means you plan to pay back, and we’ve been stealing. And that is why I am working so hard with youth to create a critical mass of young people empowered to be guardians of our natural world. They are my hope for the future.”
“Sometimes rangers aren’t even paid, and in some situations if they get killed their widow and children are thrown out of their homes because space is needed for the replacement. We need to make the rangers feel that they’re valued.”
Photo credit: WildAid Ambassador Yao Ming
Peter Knights, Co-Founder and Executive Director of WildAid
“The response to poaching crises has been to increase enforcement – to escalate the war while only dealing with symptoms. Demand reduction defunds the war and deals with the root cause. If you hit the demand hard you break the back of the problem and make enforcement more affordable for the future.”
“If China banned ivory sales the economic and cultural impact there would be minuscule, but it would really help Africa – and the boost for China’s image in Africa and globally would be immense.”
Photo credit: Brent Stirton / National Geographic Cover Story: Blood Ivory
Photo credit: Brent Stirton / National Geographic Cover Story: Blood Ivory
Brent Stirton / World Press Award Winning Documentary Photographer
“Religion is a major player in the poaching crisis. We’ve ignored it, we’ve accorded religion too much respect in this regard, and we’ve placed devotion above slaughter.”
“In China, owning ivory is a status symbol that is considered a good investment. But it is also recognition of faith, and a religious totem that acknowledges their success.”
“China’s carving factories aren’t going anywhere. China now has enormous presence in Africa, they need the assets that Africa has, and the vast majority of African governments are happy to have them there. This comes before the environment.”
“These are not democracies. There is just too much corruption, and poverty continues to be an exploitable phenomenon. The key to law enforcement is to affect the demand.”
“People always prioritize what is happening to humans, but they fail to see how these things relate to each other.”
Photo credit: Dex Kotze
Patrick Bergin, CEO of African Wildlife Foundation
I raise the point that ivory is a minuscule contribution to China’s economy, but the decimation of elephants is destroying not only Africa’s iconic species, but it is also fuelling conflict and terrorism, derailing tourism, and creating more unemployment and poverty.
“Yes, exactly, and there are only about 6 or 7 organisations making money on ivory,” continues Bergin.
Right, so why don’t the African leaders ask China to shut down their carving factories?
“Back in August President Obama hosted a meeting with five or six African heads of state, and the general feeling was that they were intimidated by the prospect of upsetting China – that it would be easier for the US to make a big deal of this,” explains Bergin.
“Well I think everybody needs to make a big deal of this. There has been a drumbeat of activity in the West, and I do think the US has shown leadership on the illegal wildlife trade, and then there was the conference in London in February, and I was talking to the UK Minister of Environment about this and, in my mind, the centre of gravity and influence now needs to move East. Why don’t we invite China to host the next big illegal wildlife trafficking symposium? And in doing so, put the onus on China to clean house so that they can host the conference with pride.”
Photo credit: Rick Page
Jamie Joseph, Founder of savingthewild.com / On assignment in Zimbabwe
Humans have a lot to learn about love and loyalty from these compassionate giants. Compassion; ultimately it is the game changer that can save elephants from a brutal extinction. We are in the midst of a wildlife holocaust, and I struggle to understand how a civilisation as advanced as we are can still be so savage. People that are buying ivory trinkets and ivory carvings need to stop and take a long, hard look at the mirror and decide how much blood they really want on their hands.
They need to make a choice: this craft, or this species?
Jamie Joseph is a writer and environmental activist. She is currently based in various parts of Africa, reporting from the frontline of the poaching crisis. Connect with the world’s thought leaders through savingthewild.com on Facebook and Twitter.