Figures soar despite huge anti-poaching resource
Mmegi Editor | Tuesday July 25, 2017 11:56
Additional areas are parts of the North East District, Okavango, Bobirwa, Tuli Block and even the Central District. Latest reports indicate that elephants have reached the southern part of the country, and were recently spotted in regions such as Kweneng and Kgatleng. The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism has invested millions of pula to combat poaching. We have been informed that the ministry has gone to the extent of acquiring aircraft to reinforce anti-poaching operations that are usually conducted by the Botswana Defence Force jointly with wildlife troopers.
Other stakeholders such as the Embassy of the United States of America, and the Chinese Embassy have recently joined the fight against poaching by providing training and resources to empower local security agencies. There are many interventions that have been implemented to fight this scourge. It is therefore shocking to learn that 17 elephants were killed in a single month in the Ngamiland alone.
This could be a clear indication that we missed a step, which is the involvement of local communities to take a leadership role in the fight against poaching. These are the people who have lived side by side with these animals and who know seasons of their movement. They are the same people who bear the pain of losing their crops, livestock and even the lives of their loved ones when these animals attack.
The ministry headed by President Ian Khama’s younger brother, Tshekedi has said very little about its intention to engage local communities in this fight. What we have at least heard from Tshekedi is that he does not want the sale of ivory as it exacerbates poaching.
On the other hand, much of the military personnel, which takes part in anti-poaching operations has expressed suspicion that there are ‘elders’ involved in the illegal hunting.
Yes, they have said it in confidence for fear of losing their jobs, as they have confided in many in the media that they have received instruction from high offices not to interfere with certain ‘tourists’.
They had good reason to suspect that such individuals could be masquerading as tourists when they are in fact poachers. We cannot afford to spend such huge sums of money in a bid to eradicate poaching when there are official hunting parties protected, if not orchestrated, by some individuals in government.
Parliament should intervene and demand answers or even set up a Commission of Inquiry into poaching activities.
The inquiry should invite wildlife and military officers including those that are in retirement and have participated in anti-poaching operations. In efforts to unearth the truth, their identities could remain under wraps to ensure inroads in investigations into these supposedly sophisticated poaching incidents. This is another way we can make headway in winning the war against poaching if we are to explore the many ways to skin this cat.
Today’s thought
“Animals are born who they are, accept it, and that is that. They live with greater peace than people do.”
– Gregory Maguire