WILDLIFE CRIME
Wildlife crime is the illegal poaching, trafficking and trade of wildlife and wildlife products. Wildlife crime is one of the most prevalent forms of organized crime after drugs, arms and human trafficking.
Wildlife crime can be divided into:
Illegal wildlife poaching
Illegal wildlife trafficking
Illegal wildlife trade
Consequence of wildlife crimes: Extinction of wildlife, serious organized crime and terrorism, economic disruption of African countries, zoonotic diseases.
-
Illegal wildlife trade is a major funding source for transnational criminal networks and terrorist groups. These groups exploit weak enforcement and porous borders, using profits to fuel armed conflict and organized crime.
-
Wildlife crime robs African nations of billions in tourism revenue, destabilizes rural economies, and undermines natural resource-based livelihoods. It weakens governance and drains national development efforts.
-
Wildlife trafficking increases human exposure to zoonotic diseases like Ebola and COVID-19. Close contact with trafficked animals, often in unhygienic conditions, creates a dangerous breeding ground for pandemics.
-
Less than 5% of poachers are ever convicted - largely due to a lack of forensic evidence. Forensic science is the missing link in the fight against wildlife crime, critical for building strong legal cases and dismantling criminal networks.
