Poaching in Africa

Among the greatest contributors to social destabilization and environmental damage to various Central African nations is the proliferation of poaching and the black market industry that stems from it. Every year, poachers kill thousands of exotic animals such as elephants and rhinos to satisfy international demand for animal products. Despite the current global ban on any commodities derived from poached animals, today’s illegal poaching market affects millions of human and animal lives. Through the use of stricter international legislation, greater outreach through educational services, and increasing the funding for African national park rangers, poaching in Central Africa may diminish to the benefit of both African society and the global ecosystem.

Today’s modern poaching business resonates the influence of former European control over regions in Africa where exotic animals are prevalent. Many European colonies organized in Africa during the Age of Imperialism of the mid-nineteenth century were created purely for the exploitation of land, resources, and cheap labor to benefit Europe alone. Most notably, Belgium, under the leadership of King Leopold II, established ivory trade stations in Congo from which the lucrative ivory trading business gained legitimacy. One colony in particular, Côte d’Ivoire, obtained its name from its French founders for its reputation as an ivory harvesting province. The demand for ivory, rhinoceros horns, and other exotic animal products rose during the mid-nineteenth century as industrialization augmented the economic prowess of European and American citizens. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the “rapid prosperity in both Europe and North America led to an increase in demand for ivory to mak...

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