Tokis-Phoenix
^_^
"National parks in Africa, originally set up to conserve endangered species, are failing to protect wildlife within their boundaries, a study claims.
Researchers say a decline in the number of large mammals, such as antelopes, was a result of increased pressures on the reserves' ecology.";
http
/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6972416.stm
This is the problem as i see it;
a. Millions of people live in absolute poverty in africa.
b. A lot of this poverty is down to the corruption and problems of local and main governments and problems which originate outside of africa itself.
c. Many ordinary people are desperate to make money to provide their families with food, water, clothes and education.
d. There are people, both in and outside africa, who are willing to pay large sums of money for bush meat.
e. Some people may not really want to kill their local wildlife, however when faced with the money they could make for doing such illegal activities faced with the pennies they would make from farming the land etc, the temptation is too great- some people may not even get a choice, it is a matter of survival.
f. Many farmers live in poverty, every cow, goat or sack of maize could make the difference between the survival or extinction of the farmers livelihood and his family. When a wild animal like a leopard or lion kills a cow, or elephants destroy the crops, the farmer needs to kill the wild animal/s to save his farm and his family.
g. De-forestation and drought and general habitat loss are forcing wild animals to flock to the farms to steal the farmers crops, kill his animals, and drink all of the farmers water.
Etc...
Its a sort of vicious cycle that has many problems...In the end the real losers are the wild animals, but on the other hand, the people are not getting a great deal out things either. If i was living n poverty in africa and i had a family to look after, but no matter how hard i worked i could barely fill a single plate with food on the table every night, and someone offered me $500 dollars to kill a lion for them (which for me would be years worth of pay), i would probably do it even if i knew it was wrong, i was in a desperate situation myself etc...
The money from the tourist trade and money from charities cannot unfortunately save every village and town and the wildlife that surrounds it. Until the problems of poverty and corruption and other problems in africa are made better, then i think the problem with illegal poaching is never really going to get better.
What do you think?
Researchers say a decline in the number of large mammals, such as antelopes, was a result of increased pressures on the reserves' ecology.";
http
/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6972416.stmThis is the problem as i see it;
a. Millions of people live in absolute poverty in africa.
b. A lot of this poverty is down to the corruption and problems of local and main governments and problems which originate outside of africa itself.
c. Many ordinary people are desperate to make money to provide their families with food, water, clothes and education.
d. There are people, both in and outside africa, who are willing to pay large sums of money for bush meat.
e. Some people may not really want to kill their local wildlife, however when faced with the money they could make for doing such illegal activities faced with the pennies they would make from farming the land etc, the temptation is too great- some people may not even get a choice, it is a matter of survival.
f. Many farmers live in poverty, every cow, goat or sack of maize could make the difference between the survival or extinction of the farmers livelihood and his family. When a wild animal like a leopard or lion kills a cow, or elephants destroy the crops, the farmer needs to kill the wild animal/s to save his farm and his family.
g. De-forestation and drought and general habitat loss are forcing wild animals to flock to the farms to steal the farmers crops, kill his animals, and drink all of the farmers water.
Etc...
Its a sort of vicious cycle that has many problems...In the end the real losers are the wild animals, but on the other hand, the people are not getting a great deal out things either. If i was living n poverty in africa and i had a family to look after, but no matter how hard i worked i could barely fill a single plate with food on the table every night, and someone offered me $500 dollars to kill a lion for them (which for me would be years worth of pay), i would probably do it even if i knew it was wrong, i was in a desperate situation myself etc...
The money from the tourist trade and money from charities cannot unfortunately save every village and town and the wildlife that surrounds it. Until the problems of poverty and corruption and other problems in africa are made better, then i think the problem with illegal poaching is never really going to get better.
What do you think?
