Last year’s Covid-19 pandemic has also had numerous repercussions for Africa, its people and conservation. Dwindling income and revenue from tourist and safari operations have been eroded down to a bare minimum and made it very difficult to keep supporting the APU (anti-poaching units) and allow them to remain operational. This has resulted in a noticeable spike in poaching activities. A particularly insidious, indiscriminate and cruel method to catch wild animals illegally is the use of wire snares.
Currently we are supporting one project to counter poaching activities in Malawi. The organisation Elefence is in the process of erecting wildlife fencing around the Dedza-Salima Forest Reserve. This should alleviate and resolve local human-wildlife conflict, safeguard animals inside the reserve, prevent elephants from breaking out, as well as deter potential poachers from entering this wilderness area. It was only recently that elephants went on a rampage through fields and villages bordering the reserve which wreaked havoc and destroyed crops and farmland, the livelihood of the local populace. The rangers barely succeeded in preventing the elephants from being killed in retaliation.
The monthly salary of a park ranger amounts to 300 US$, that is 10 US$ a day. A little money goes a long way in Malawi! When a ranger collects 5 wire snares on patrol in a single day, he will have saved 5 animals a gruesome and lingering demise. So these 10 US$ is money so well spent!
Over the last months rangers have located and collected hundreds of wire snares that were set to catch unsuspecting wildlife.
A reliable representative of Elefence has assured us that our donations will be used 100% to benefit the project. Elefence has absolutely NO administrative salaries.
Your donation will help save the lives of wild animals and contribute towards putting an end to the poaching crisis.