Cape Town - Despite various conservation efforts by local non-profit organisation WWF South Africa, with assistance from the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programme, wildlife remains in need of increased protection now more than ever with the wildlife trade considered to be one of the leading causes of ecosystem collapse, biodiversity loss and biosecurity threats.
One of WWF's conservation efforts was working to end the illegal wildlife trade via its Khetha Programme, which was supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and aimed to reduce the impact of illegal wildlife trade on both rhino and elephant populations.
WWF South Africa’s Khetha programme spokesperson Lara Rall said illegal wildlife trade was widely known as a major threat to iconic species including elephants and rhinos, which played essential roles as ecosystem engineers, shaping and maintaining the environment.
“Wildlife trafficking is an extremely complex and ever-evolving problem that requires co-operation between law enforcement agencies across borders as well as between sectors of society. Our approach is to bring people together, to discuss, deliberate, and find joint solutions to the problems that drive and enable wildlife trafficking,” said Rall.
The need for increased wildlife protection was echoed by World Animal Protection Africa after their recent “Cargo of Cruelty“ investigative report revealed that Ethiopian Airlines was shipping live wildlife around the world for luxury use as exotic pets, posing huge biosecurity and disease risks as well as the threat to animal welfare and conservation
World Animal Protection Wildlife Campaigns manager Dr Patrick Muinde said: “While the world still grapples with the pandemic, it’s important to remember how it’s believed to have all started – the wildlife trade.
“People continue to be subjected to travel restrictions to stop the spread of disease, so it’s shocking to know that wild animals of high biosecurity risk, are being flown around the world, going under the radar.”
World Animal Protection urgently called on Ethiopian Airlines and other airlines to help restrict trade, with immediate action on species that are high biosecurity risks, with the aim for airlines to transition away from all transportation of wildlife for commercial exploitation as luxury exotic pets.