Poaching has been forbidden for over more than a century. Yet, today, this has been something impossible to abolish, even with the help of so many anti-poaching nonprofit organizations.
As we all know, since March 2020, we have been experiencing a lockdown due to COVID-19. This has unfortunately helped elephants and rhinos’ hunters pick up, increasing their killing since tourism has ceased.
Facts About The Impact Of COVID-19 In Wildlife
Anyone would consider that since Coronavirus spread and threatened the world to stay home, poachers have stopped hunting and stayed safe as well. But the reality is another. This has allowed them to intrude on land they wouldn’t regularly visit and that during standard days would be crowded with tourists on safaris.
It’s essential to understand what’s happening in this South African region and the uprising consequences Coronavirus has brought to wildlife.
“Poaching hasn’t stopped because there’s a virus”
Even though park rangers and veterans are still on alert and making rounds in the area, there’s more ground to cover due to the lack of tourism. This makes it even more difficult to have poachers on the loop and led to many incidents, such as:
- At least six rhinos have been poached in Botswana.
- Botswana’s security forces shot and killed five suspected poachers in April.
- In Northwest South Africa, at least nine rhinos have been killed.
Organizations are running low on donations
Anti-poaching nonprofit organizations get their incomes mostly from donations. The ongoing Coronavirus crisis, plus the lockdown months that have passed, have caused these organizations to run low in money. This can result in reduced patrols and more increase in poachers’ siege towards wildlife.
Inactive Tourism
This is a fact all over the world, and also around wildlife destinations in Africa. Tourism is highly profitable since Africa and its wildlife are a unique attraction for many. But since COVID-19, people working in tourism are being laid off, and national parks have been shut down temporarily, causing lots of loss in revenue.
What Can Still Be Done To Help?
VETPAW is one of the committed nonprofit organizations working towards the preservation of endangered species. We’re encouraging wildlife lovers to help us resist during these difficult times by making donations. We’re genuinely committed to this cause, and for no reason, we would like to stop giving our best to save these beautiful creatures.
With your donations, we’ll be able to keep providing the support needed by keeping the area as safe as possible from poachers with the help of our devoted veterans and park rangers.