WHEN GAMEKEEPER TURNS POACHER

In Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the legendary “Great Migration” was seen this year by just a skeleton staff of park workers and a few fortunate residents. “Even at its height, the Central Serengeti felt wilder and more remote than it had for many, many years,” said Harjot Mann, director of Nimali Africa. “However, the negative impact is sure to be pervasive as unemployment and lack of funding lead to increased bushmeat poaching, fuel collecting and more serious commercial poaching.”

Many African parks have seen a surge in poaching for bushmeat as national economies implode, though enforced restrictions on movement during lockdown led to a reduction in ivory and rhino-horn poaching in some areas. However, an anonymous wildlife guide at a luxury camp on the boundary of South Africa’s Kruger National Park believes unemployment among park staff might lead to a spike in rhino poaching. Trackers in particular, who have inside knowledge of rhino habitats and territories and are experienced in finding the animals, could be lured into using their skills for bloodier ends.

In the past, some poaching has been attributed to “double-agent” trackers who spend their days leading tourists to rhinos and their off- duty periods hunting down those same animals. In many cases, ex-poachers are hired for tracking positions at safari camps and lodges because a) they are among the most experienced trackers and b) by hiring them, some of the worst offenders are removed from circulation.

With lie- detector tests and more stringent vetting of staff, responsible camps are making huge efforts to guarantee the honesty of their staff. The hope is that, as tourists return, temptation will be removed.