Challenges
Wildlife protection authorities need more resources to keep up with poachers.
Commercial poachers are equipped with tracking technology, high-power firearms, and covert transport routes to evade rangers within protected areas. In many cases, their operations rely on intelligence supplied by local informants or corrupt officials. To mitigate this ever-evolving threat, wildlife authorities require more boots on the ground to deter poachers and enforce wildlife laws. With specialized training and appropriate equipment to navigate the dynamic conservation needs of each landscape, rangers can assess threat levels and monitor wildlife populations.
Protecting biodiversity is often not an urgent concern for developing countries.
Industrial and infrastructural development projects across the African continent jostle for space with protected wildlife areas, threatening vital ecosystems. As human settlement mushrooms around new commercial centers, natural resources — wildlife included — are at risk of turning into commodities for communities living in or close to places rich in biodiversity. Without regulations in place, not only will species numbers plummet due to retaliatory killings, bushmeat trade, and commercial poaching, but their habitats will also deteriorate if water sources are exploited and trees are cut down as fuel.
