Africa’s New Poaching “Hotspot”

The news on elephant populations across Africa has been bleak. With primarily Chinese demand fueling high prices for ivory and continued poverty around many protected areas, locals turn to poaching and foreigners join in.

A new report — sponsored by the Great Elephant Census — shows that Angola is a new “hotspot” of poaching. The country, once thought of as less susceptible to poaching than neighbors has seen, now must admit that, “the rate of elephant poaching in Angola is among the highest in Africa. In fact, the country is down to 3,400 elephants in the southern region. And the population is declining at 10% a year.

The authors of the study claim that government was genuinely surprised and concerned. That may be — but the better measure of their response will be funding allocation to anti-poaching efforts, the creation of larger protected areas, and an effort to enforce extremely harsh penalties both for poaching and for the export of ivory.

While supply in China remains the main problem, Angola can take action to preserve its own economy, wildlife and reputation.