PATROL - VOLUME 25

The Robin Hood Effect - By Dr Brian Child

English nobility took away land, forest, and game (the King's Game) from the “Robin Hoods”. And criminalized the lifestyle.

This happened again in North America. Europeans displaced the local systems for governing wildlife (not to mention the people). 

They basically broke the store down, and when everyone rushed in, they blamed the greedy hunters and markets and are still doing so today (demand reduction).

To Catch a Poacher (7-minute Video)

Hunting companies in Zambia, such as Fico Vidale Safaris, lease game management areas (GMAs) from the government, which belong to different chiefdoms.

Villagers have traditional fishing weirs in Kafue National Park, which African Parks try to control by registering fishermen.

Anti-poaching is mostly done during the hunting season and the dry season because of accessibility. Recently, a poacher was caught while Fico Vidale was hunting buffalo with a client, and African Parks prosecuted him.

Poachers wound more animals than they kill using crude firearms, and that can be dangerous for everyone in the area.

Does Hunting Tourism Stifle Photo Tourism?

The photo tourism sector is often guilty of siding with animal rights activists in condemning hunting tourism to curry favor with prospective clients. 

There is also the belief that if safari hunting occurs within a country, prospective tourists will choose an alternative, non-hunting country to visit.

Poaching Issues and Solutions (5-minute Video)

Mark Haldane from Zambeze Delta Safaris has faced meat poaching, illegal charcoal production, and logging within the region. Their anti-poaching unit uses multiple methods, including helicopters, motorbikes, and foot patrols. They have been successful in reducing poaching activities, particularly meat poaching, but still face challenges such as the use of cable snares and hunting with dogs. They have also managed to stamp out charcoal production and illegal logging within the concession.