In the forests of Cameroon, a single conservation program has seized 1,392 kg of bushmeat, arrested 25 poachers, and destroyed 260 hunting camps, yet hunting pressure resumes whenever enforcement resources are withdrawn. This pattern, repeated across Africa, reveals the fundamental challenge facing wildlife conservation: economic incentives consistently outweigh protection
Safari hunting was banned in Uganda in 1979, marking the end of what had been a thriving industry. This occurred during a period of severe political upheaval and wildlife devastation. The almost 30,000 elephants that Uganda had at independence were reduced to only 2,000 in 1985. After the
By Prof Brian Child Economic efficiency results from clearly defined property rights and exchange in free markets and is independent of who owns the resources. Nonetheless, Coase (1960) and others acknowledge that the question of who owns the resources is also important. Ignoring these distributional issues gives free market economics
Can safari hunting truly serve conservation goals? What happens to Africa's wildlife when idealism meets the harsh realities of funding and local politics? Who bears responsibility for protecting these irreplaceable ecosystems? This documentary delves into the intricate world of a safari hunting concessionaire and its role in wildlife
In the bustling markets of Accra, a kilogram of bushmeat costs more than premium beef, yet consumers consistently choose the wild meat option. This phenomenon, repeated across urban centers throughout Africa, reveals a fundamental truth about protein consumption on the continent: cultural forces often override pure economic logic, creating consumption
There have been significant changes in wildlife populations and domestic livestock in Kenya from 1960 to the present. Rather than relying on potentially variable absolute numbers, this analysis focuses on documented growth rates and trends for Kenya's wildlife and livestock populations, as reported in available scientific studies. These
When we think of wildlife conservation, we often picture vast national parks, million-dollar budgets, and international organizations with armies of researchers. However, some of the most powerful conservation stories are written by small-time operators working with limited resources, big hearts, and an unshakeable belief in their mission. The truth is,
By Zig Mackintosh July 31, 2025 - World Rangers Day In the pre-dawn darkness across Africa's most remote wilderness areas, where few Western tourists ever dare to set foot, thousands of rangers shoulder their rifles, check their radios, don their heavy backpacks, and step into landscapes where a
Africa's protein markets reveal a fascinating economic paradox: the cheaper product to produce isn't always the more affordable product to buy. Across the continent, bushmeat and beef engage in a complex pricing dance that defies simple economic assumptions, with supply chain efficiency emerging as the decisive
Illegal activities that pose significant challenges in most of Africa include habitat loss through charcoal production, illicit harvesting of timber, poaching of wildlife, and overfishing of water resources. In the Lugenda Wildlife Reserve (LUWIRE) within the Niassa Special Reserve of northern Mozambique, these issues are being addressed head-on. For several
6 AM: An antelope dies in a wire snare 200 kilometers from the nearest city. 6 PM: That same antelope is served in an urban restaurant. This is the bushmeat pipeline. What began as local subsistence hunting has evolved into an industrial supply chain. Poachers sell to local traders, who
By Prof Brian Child I believe that the problems afflicting resource-dependent communities in forests and drylands originate from insecurity of person and property. The institution of property in the context of the reinstitutionalization of ungoverned spaces through Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), where property has four main purposes: 1. The
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When we think of African wildlife crime, we picture this. Poaching. Ivory. International trafficking. But there's a hidden crisis unfolding across Africa that dwarfs these headlines. Every single day, across every habitat. While around 20,000 elephants are killed annually for ivory… …millions of African animals disappear into
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An extraordinary partnership in the ancient granite landscape of the Matobo Hills of Western Zimbabwe is proving that private enterprise and community can thrive when wildlife is used sustainably. When the Johnson brothers, Guav and Courteney, partnered with the communal land residents who had long struggled with poverty and limited
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Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is an approach to conservation that recognizes the economic value of ecosystem services and creates financial incentives for their protection. PES involves transactions where a beneficiary or user of an ecosystem service makes payments to individuals or communities whose land management decisions affect the provision
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By Hank's Voice The celebrity led, UK based, Campaign To Ban Trophy Hunting (CBTH) must not be making enough money from selling their ugly T-shirts and peddling their even fouler lies, as they're amping up their antics again, desperately hoping to hoodwink a gullible public and
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Located in northern Botswana, a 160-kilometre electric fence encircles the nation's "food basket", but the project's ambitious expansion plans and wildlife controversies reveal the complex matrix of food security in modern Africa. With fertile black cotton soils and an annual rainfall of 600 millimeters,
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The SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association has a proactive leadership position on the South African National Lead Task Team (LTT). Here are the key details: SA Hunters' Role: SA Hunters is a founder member of the National Lead Task Team (LTT), one of the task teams of the
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Mark Haldane, director of Zambeze Delta Safaris (ZDS), accepts that funding remains the perpetual challenge facing comprehensive anti-poaching operations in Mozambique. The reality is stark: safari operations alone simply don't generate sufficient revenue to sustain both a profitable business and the extensive conservation efforts his organization pursues at
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By Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Dilguerian De Oliveira Conceição According to current global statistics, two rangers lose their lives in the line of duty every week, with over 1,000 rangers killed worldwide and many more injured over the last 10 years. Nearly 9 out of 10 African rangers (88.6%
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By Prof Brian Child The last few centuries have seen the most rapid transformation of human society in history. The misery of an agrarian economy based on feudal ownership was replaced by the current era of prosperity and personal freedoms that so many of us are fortunate to enjoy. This
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The breathtaking scenery of the Matobo Hills in South-western Zimbabwe, with its multitude of massive round granite domes with gigantic boulders of various sizes balanced on top, creating what looks like natural art, has been sculpted over millions of years by sun, wind and water. The hills, known locally as
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By Hanks Voice It's difficult to find someone not fascinated by and attracted to hummingbirds. They are universally alluring avian marvels that are highly recognizable, tiny in stature, capable of incredible, almost helicopter-like maneuvers in flight, and bejeweled with stunning iridescent plumage. Sightings of them are coveted in
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By the 1950s, Nile crocodiles in Zimbabwe were nearly extinct. Commercial hunters had killed most of them for their valuable skins. The crocodiles were easy targets because they lived in predictable locations, hunters could spot them easily at night with spotlights, and each kill was worth a lot of money.