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Jonathan Spear
AP Language
13 December 2016
The Southern African Poaching Pandemic
When an elephant is poached, a bullet strikes through its brain, a poacher slashes
off its face, and the faceless corpse is left to succumb to the dry, arid, African elements.
The reality of this episode is commonplace across Southern Africa, and the region is
experiencing a poaching pandemic that has spawned a serious dilemma for wildlife and
tourism economies. As the animals who once roamed the continents forests and savannas
are slain for their horns and fur, poaching is driving wildlife on a path toward extinction.
The growing scarcity of the regions prominent flora and fauna has hindered
environmental equilibrium and attracted less tourism, and tourism industries have
suffered the repercussions. Nonetheless, many humanitarians have taken the helm to
develop methods to battle poachers and preserve wildlife from an uncertain future.
Ultimately, poaching in Southern Africa is sweeping wildlife toward a position of
obsolescence, and costing the tourism industry millions of dollars per year.
The seriousness and severity of the poaching issue in Southern Africa has
overcome the region, and has proven to be a complex web of many varying factors. The
circumstances linked to poaching are often complicated, especially in relation to
surrounding communities.
In addition to all the money involved, the socio-economic system that supports
poaching is a complicated mix. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, acute poverty, lack of
knowledge and information, a paucity of offsetting incentives, broad-based

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corruption, inefficiency, and everyday conflicts between humans and animals...all
make for a very dynamic situation with many moving parts (Petersen).
Aside from the changing landscape on poaching, there is also a shifting view on
the illegal activity. Some agree that the simple term poaching is no longer appropriate,
given the unmatched sophistication, bloodshed, and money behind it (Mabunda). In
essence, a new, more elaborate poaching narrative has been written on how poaching
operates in Southern Africa.
Aside from the fractured landscape promoted by poaching, the disturbance
poaching has on the environment is unparalleled. It disrupts equilibrium that has survived
and evolved for millions of years and has backtracked evolutionary progress. The
poaching crisis spells a bitter aftermath for many Southern African ecosystems. The
trading for vulnerable wildlife is unsustainable and dangerous, causing imbalances in
global ecosystems and threatening biodiversity by throwing off valuable and
irreplaceable species into decline (Dupere). A pair of Africas most famous species, the
elephant and the rhinoceros, are frequently hunted for their horn. The tremendous
yearning from global markets for ivory and grated horn has amassed demands that are
driving these animals to the brink of extinction (Petersen). It has even been estimated that
the death rate for rhinos in South Africas Kruger National Park will soon overcome the
birth rate (Annecke). Though these issues are present and affecting wildlife now,
poaching is also altering the evolutionary path for future generations as well. A
broadening number of elephants are being born tuskless because poachers have been
consistent in killing elephants with the most favorable ivory, fundamentally altering the

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gene pool (England). The latter statistic is interesting, as being tuskless may be a positive
trait, since poachers will not be inclined pursue the tuskless variety.
The rates in which wildlife populations are diminishing is shocking as well. A
century ago, around 450,000 African lions coexisted, but now the number has declined to
approximately 30,000 to 20,000 (Environmental Outlook: New Efforts to Save African
Lions). Declines in populations such as in the lions case can create disproportion
between predator and prey numbers, ultimately dismantling the balance the ecosystem
had established. Zimbabwe, sitting in the southeastern side of the region, has been hit
hard by poaching. Zimbabwe has fallen victim to 24,000 elephants killed in the last 20
years, and Chewore National Park, located in Zimbabwe, ranks third in terms of elephant
poaching (Makoshori). This is a cause for concern, as these substantial killings are taking
place in one of the most secure environments for elephants in all of Africa. The concern
for poaching even in protected settings is beginning to heighten.
Above all the poaching, the demand and money brought in from poaching is the
primary and driving reason for poachers to slaughter their victims. As poaching teams,
funded by organized crime and terrorist groups, continue to poach, they are are cashing in
big bucks. Around the world, the animal trafficking industry is bringing in more money
than the poachers can refuse. The illegal killing and transportation of flora and fauna is
estimated to be at least $5 billion business that spans the globe (Petersen). It is clear that
the money from poaching is promoting the killings, and fueling the poaching fire. In
Vietnam, a single rhino horn can bring in $500,000, and in China, a pair of tusks generate
$150,000 (Petersen). In Southern Africa, these trends are causing an abrupt, significant,

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permanent, robust, and geographically widespread increase in poaching (Poaching poses
immediate risk to survival for African elephants).
Along with wildlife, tourism economies across Southern Africa are also
experiencing the ramifications of poaching. The tourism industries survive and thrive off
of the prosperity of wildlife. The insurmountable financial losses stem from fewer visitors
due to the illegal wildlife trade. With dwindling populations, growing scarcity, and firstperson experiences with poached animals, it is obvious to see the reason behind tourism
decline across the region. In countries such as Kenya, where tourism is the countrys
second largest earner behind agriculture, when tourism suffers, so does the economy
(Barnes). The annual, direct losses from elephant poaching alone runs to a mean of $9.1
million, and internal costs run to around $16.4 million (King). These significant losses
are unfavorable to many countries, since tourism provides substantial financial support.
In many places, the cost of protecting wildlife exceeds the benefits from tourism as well
(Vaughan). The resulting financial status for many tourism industries is troublesome for
South African nations and continues to plague the region.
Though it may appear that wildlife is defenseless against poachers, the animals
are not alone in the fight against poaching. Immense strides are being taken to save
animals from a certain death. There are a variety of efforts being made to halt poaching,
and as tensions rise between the two sides, so does the technology, The nightly conflict
on the ground between anti-poaching forces and the animal hunters has spawned an
explosion in tools and techniques aimed at keeping the animals alive -- as well as the
tourist economies (Petersen). The utilization of drones, radars, and satellites has also
become more prevalent. Near Kruger National Park in South Africa, a large wireless

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system has been used to track animals via transponders, cameras, and sensors (Petersen).
As technology continues to grow and advance, both sides will be competing in the
technology race, The great amount of money associated with poaching coupled with the
rapid proliferation of technology guarantees that both poachers and animal defenders will
be fielding the best tech they can put their hands on in order to pursue their ends
(Petersen). Fortunately, the anti-poaching groups seem to be ahead in the race.
In Southern Africa, poaching has become a prominent problem that needs to
urgently be addressed. The region has presented a canvas for poachers to paint their mark
on wildlife and devastate stable ecosystem. The environment and tourism industries will
continue to suffer unless stern action is taken. The need for greater awareness and
education on poaching is imperative to the survival of species that have prospered for
millions of years. In order to liberate wildlife and communities from the grip of
poaching, the initiative must be taken to preserve wildlife for future generations.

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Works Cited
Annecke, Wendy, and Mmoto Masubelele. "A Review of the Impact of Militarisation:
The Case of Rhino Poaching in Kruger National Park, South Africa."
Conservation and Society, vol. 14, no. 3, 2016, p. 195. Academic OneFile.
"Africa losing $25-million tourism revenue each year due to elephant poaching." Down
To Earth, 2 Nov. 2016. General OneFile.
Barnes, Simon. "Elephant in the room." Spectator, 4 June 2016, p. 24. Global Issues in
Context.
"Countries Gather For Wildlife Convention On Animal Trafficking." All Things
Considered, 29 Sept. 2016. Global Issues in Context.
"Environmental Outlook: New Efforts To Save African Lions." The Diane Rehm Show,
20 July 2016. General OneFile.
Makoshori, Shame. "Jumpo Poaching Soars - Report." Africa News Service, 10 Mar.
2016. Global Issues in Context.
"LEGAL IVORY SALE DROVE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ELEPHANT
POACHING, STUDY SHOWS." States News Service, 13 June 2016. General
OneFile.
Petersen, John L. "Technology: In the war on poaching, eyes in the sky bring hope."
Cyprus Mail [Cyprus], 12 Oct. 2016. Global Issues in Context, Accessed 16
Jan. 2017.
"Poaching poses immediate risk to survival of African elephants: CITES." Xinhua News
Agency, 3 Mar. 2016. Global Issues in Context
Vaughan, Adam. Elephant poaching costing African nations millions in lost tourism

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revenue. The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 Nov. 2016.
Dupere, Katie. "6 STARTLING FACTS ABOUT WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING
-- AND HOW YOU CAN HELP." States News Service, 5 June 2016.
General OneFile