Poaching Archive
Are all Poachers the Same?
When times get bad, men get bad. But is the Kenyan government’s seizure last week of 150 elephant tusks the work of “bad men?”
Yes, for sure, if you believe that every law promulgated by man should be obeyed. The 317 pieces of raw elephant ivory (weighing 2 tonnes) and the five rhino horn [...]
Ivory Highways in Tanzania
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Poaching, Serengeti on July 6, 2010
A courageous legislator in Tanzania’s Parliament has charged Tanzania’s Minister of Tourism with corruption. The pieces to the puzzle seem to fit.
Last week Tanzanian MP, Magdalena Sakaya, publically accused Tanzania’s Minister for Tourism, Shamsa Mwangunga, of deceit with regards to her attempt to sell ivory stockpiles.
This is no small matter. Sakaya is one [...]
Is CITES a Rich Man’s Treaty?
Posted by jimheck in Animal Attacks, Poaching, Wildlife Management on April 29, 2010
The southern African countries are meeting today in Malawi to decide whether to withdraw from the CITES convention. They almost convinced me to support them, and then, they blew it.
The withdrawal from CITES (Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species) by part of the world where half the elephants live would throw the treaty [...]
Eles for Bluefins
Posted by jimheck in Poaching, Politics, Wildlife Management on April 21, 2010
The whole damned world is becoming politicized. It isn’t just us, and it’s not good for animals.
The quintessential world treaty, CITES, which has done so much good since its inception in the 1980s to protect endangered species became totally politicized at the March meeting in Doha.
Horse trading ruled the day. Sorry, elephant trading.
The [...]
Bipartisan with China, against Eles
Posted by jimheck in Poaching, Politics, Wildlife Management on February 24, 2010
Two weeks from Sunday the Obama administration will finally let the world know what they think about elephant conservation. So far, they haven’t.
The silence is deafening. I’m afraid the whales and elephants are being negotiated away for sanctions against Iran.
This will be Obama’s first world forum on conservation. The last CITES convention [...]
Ivory Jubilee!
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Poaching on February 5, 2010
Officials from CITES were in Dar last week to inventory the ivory stockpile that Tanzania wants to sell. It looks more and more likely that Tanzania will prevail in Doha next month.
The only hope that the momentum for the sale will be derailed is with Tanzania’s tourism minister, Ms. Sharmsa Mwangung.
It’s not that Ms. [...]
Ivory Sink Hole
Tanzania conservation authorities have plunged into quicksand and the sink hole could take all of East Africa with it.
This weekend Tanzania confirmed that it was aggressively trying to convince the 175 members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to approve the sale of elephant ivory.
All the surrounding countries except Zambia strongly [...]
Sinister Tail Clippers
Poaching increases during tough economic times but is usually limited to elephants and rhino. Looks like giraffe are now being taken, too.
Wildlife officials at Arusha National Park (which is locally fondly called “giraffic park”) reported this weekend that a growing number of giraffe are being seen without tails!
Years ago when I first worked in [...]
1% of Rhino Population Poached
Posted by jimheck in Poaching, Wildlife Management on January 5, 2010
A major KWS nab of rhino poachers in Laikipia, yesterday, reveals new and terrible sophistication in rhino poaching.
Recently a friend chastised me for writing so negatively in my blogs, remarking specifically about the number of blogs about poaching. She’s right, of course. My blogs about poaching have increased substantially. Poaching always increases [...]
Rhinowash
Posted by jimheck in Big Game, Charity, Poaching, Wildlife Management on December 26, 2009
This week’s arrival in Kenya of one of the most endangered animals left on earth was not the cute Christmas present the world media reported.
In fact, the relocation of 4 of the remaining 8 northern white rhino in existence, into a country where poaching is becoming epidemic, may be one of the most stupid moves [...]
More Poaching Evidence
Posted by jimheck in Big Game, Poaching, Wildlife Management on November 30, 2009
European governments have joined Kenya to keep pressure on the Obama administration to end its silence on supporting continued protection of elephants during the upcoming CITES convention in March.
Today, officials from Kenya’s police and army, led by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), released photographs and other details of a huge inter-country sting operation against illegal [...]
Ivory Crisis Continues
Posted by jimheck in Economy, Poaching, Politics, Wildlife Management on November 18, 2009
Yesterday Tanzanian wildlife officials announced they would join a Zambian initiative to allow sales of elephant ivory by downgrading the elephant’s status as an endangered species.
The move is part of the important politicking that is occurring before the March meeting of CITES, the international conference on the trade in endangered species.
Kenya denounced the move and [...]
POACHING WAR?
Posted by jimheck in Poaching, Politics, Wildlife Management on May 21, 2009
The Tanzanian military is poised to enter game parks in anti-poaching capacities. Poaching is probably on the rise in this economic downturn, but this just doesn’t bode well.
Two weeks go, Tanzania’s Tourism Minister, Shamsa Mwangunga, announced that Tanzania’s military is being trained to enter the national park to deal with “sophisticated poaching syndicates and [...]
Elephant Dilemma
Elephant encounters are one of the most exciting and memorable of all safari events. But they’re getting harder to manage, and maybe, dangerous.
I’m certain that elephant poaching has begun, again. Last week in the Serengeti my heart dropped when unexpectedly I watched two families of around 20 elephant run for high heaven away [...]