Ivory and Rhino Horn Poaching in Southern and East Africa- with Links to China?
Maitseo Bolaane (History) & Edgar Bwalya (Political Science & Public Admininistration)
University of Botswana
Wildlife crimes are considered serious problems throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and in recent years African governments are paying attention to poaching and most countries have now specialised anti-poaching units. This paper aims to set the current debate on poaching and illegal trafficking of material from wildlife species in historical context and suggest possible solutions to ivory and rhino horn poaching in Southern and East Africa. Poaching and trafficking of material from endangered species from Africa have received much attention in the media in recent years and the Chinese have often been blamed for instigating and managing the trade. Trade in ivory and rhinoceros horn to China and other parts of Asia have specially attracted attention and it is helpful to see these things in historical context. Southern and East Africa have a long history of exporting game products which was once a legal trade. East Africa in particular has very long trading links with the East as part of the Indian Ocean Trading Complex System. However patterns of demand of and supply which were once part of the normal economy have now become criminal activities as the result of the change status of wildlife conservation and management.
