Tackling the Illicit African Wildlife Trade
Trafficking and poaching wildlife are a growing scourge for Africa, posing a threat to governance and even security for some nations, write CFR’s John Campbell and Allen Grane.
By experts and staff
- Published
By
- John CampbellRalph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies
- Allen GraneResearch Associate, Africa Studies
Cecil the Lion was a summer media phenomenon. The story of an American dentist killing a Zimbabwe lion illegally after luring him out of a protected reserve generated millions of Google News hits in August and was shared millions of times on sites like Facebook.
Yet while social media has generated popular revulsion at big-game hunting, little attention has been given to Africa’s more serious problem of poaching and the illicit wildlife trade. While big-game hunting and poaching both involve the killing of magnificent creatures, the two activities are different. Big-game hunting is usually legal. It arguably promotes conservation of wild animals because the tourism and hunting fees it generates makes them of greater value to local people than just for their meat. The activity is also often an important source of revenue for African governments that may be devoted to conservation projects.
