806 Briefly AFRICA
Hippopotamuses may join list of most threatened animals Hippopotamuses could be added to the list of the world’s most threatened animals because of dwindling populations caused by the cli- mate crisis, poaching and the ivory trade. Thesemi-aquaticmammals occurinlakes and rivers across sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated population of 115,000–130,000. They are threatened by trade in their ivory and other parts, habitat loss and degrada- tion, and the effects of global heating. Hippopotamuses are also legally traded for commercial purposes and hunting trophies, being currently listed in CITES Appendix II, whichmeans they are not considered immedi- ately threatened with extinction but could be- come so if their trade is not regulated. Ahead of the next CITES Conference of Parties in Panama in November 2022, 10 west African countries have proposed that hippopotamuses be given the highest protection by listing them in Appendix I of the convention. If approved, it wouldmean a total ban on the international trade in hippopotamus body parts and ivory. Source: The Guardian (2022) theguardian. com/environment/2022/aug/02/call-for- hippos-to-join-list-of-worlds-most- endangered-animals-aoe
Smartphone app aiding patrol efforts in a Cameroon National Park Conservationists from Bristol Zoological Society have been training eco-guards in Bénoué National Park, Cameroon, to use a smartphone app, alongside camera trapping, to record illegal activities such as cattle herd- ing, mining and hunting. Working in part- nership with Cameroonian NGO Sekakoh and the Park’s Conservation Service, the team have instigated a new data-driven patrol strategy to direct eco-guards to areas with the highest threat levels. The app, called SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool), has been developed by an internation- al partnership of conservationists and is used across theworld to improve lawenforcement in protected areas by enabling park man- agers tomap out the presence of illegal activ- ity and adapt the patrol effort of their teams accordingly. It is hoped that the app will aid the Park’s conservation management strat- egy by highlighting priority areas and opti- mizing patrol efforts, helping to protect its threatened wildlife populations, which in- clude the Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffe and Vulnerable giant eland. Source: Bristol Zoo (2022)
bristolzoo.org.uk/ latest-zoo-news/bristol-zoo-conservationists- trip-to-cameroon-to-help-save-giraffes
South Africa still falling short of marine protection goals More than 5% of South Africa’s marine areas are protected, but the country still has a long way to go to meet its internation- al obligations, according to conservation- ists. South Africa has 41 marine protected areas (MPAs), which make up 5.4% of its ocean and coast. These areas are similar to game reserves that protect land animals and plants, but they protect the ocean and threatened marine species instead. They also counteract overfishing by protecting vital spawning and nursery areas, providing a safe haven in which marine wildlife can mature to adulthood. In August 2022, the second annual MPA Day took place. The formerly national event was set to go global. Although conservationists have celebrated achievements to protect the ocean, there is still much more that needs to be done: South Africa made an international com- mitment to protect at least 10%of its marine areas. It is hoped that this will increase to more than 20%by 2037, as South Africa reviews its legislation and targets around protected wildlife spaces. Source: News 24 (2022)
news24.com/ news24/southafrica/news/sa-not-the-worst- but-still-falling-short-of-marine- protection-goals-conservationists-20220802
Five Southern African countries kick-start elephant census Five countries in Southern Africa, which together harbour more than half the con- tinent’s elephants, conducted a first-ever aerial census to determine the size of their elephant populations and how to protect them. Light aircraft flew simultaneously across the plains of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, in a con- servation area known as the Kavango– Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA). KAZA is home to an estimated 220,000 elephants, and the five countries aimed to establish the iconic animals’ exact numbers and distribution patterns. More than 130,000 elephants live in Botswana, which has the largest elephant population globally. The population count will be key in the management of the elephants. The data will primarily be used to guide decision- making by the five partner states, including land-use planning, managing human–ele- phant interactions, hunting and tourism. The exercise is critical for a region with a high number of trans-boundary elephants and will help design a scientific approach to the management of elephant populations. Source: VOA News (2022)
voanews.com/a/ five-southern-african-countries-kick- start-elephant-census-/
6693114.html
Poachers kill more rhinoceroses in South Africa to meet Asian demand South Africa has seen an increase in the number of rhinoceroses illegally killed for their horns in the first half of 2022,as poachers shifted to hunting in private parks. Ten more individuals were poached coun- trywide than in the first half of last year, tak- ing the total to 259. Poaching in SouthAfrica had already risen last year after a fall in 2020 linked to Covid-19 restrictions. South Africa accounts for about half of the total popula- tion of the Endangered black rhinoceros and is also home to the world’s largest popu- lation of white rhinoceroses, which are cate- gorized as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Conservation efforts and vigilance have increased in Kruger National Park, leading poachers to shift to hunting in private parks and the KwaZulu-Natal province, data from the South Africa’s environment minis- try showed. Rhinoceros poaching often in- volves both local poachers and international criminal syndicates, who smuggle the horns across borders. The ministry said demand is particularly high in Asia. Source: Cyprus Mail (2022) cyprus-mail. com/2022/08/01/poachers-kill-more- rhinos-in-south-africa-to-meet-asian- demand
Africa’s wildlife park managers meet in Kigali to boost conservation African officials met at the first-ever Africa Protected Areas Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, in July
2022.Their aimwas to expand wildlife conservation efforts, despite challenges posed by underfunding and low-quality conservation areas in the region. Just 14%of Africa’s land and inland water ecosystems and 17% of coastal and marine areas are protected. The continent currently has 9,118 protected areas. More than 100 countries worldwide have ambitions to ex- pand conservation efforts and protect wild- life. Climate change, the decline in quality of protected areas because of underfunding, and the growth of infrastructure develop- ment in protected areas are threatening biodiversity in Africa, and those working on the front lines of conservation are facing increasing challenges. The congress brought together managers of wildlife parks and re- serves, scientists, and Indigenous and com- munity leaders. It is hoped that increasing the communication and collaboration be- tween stakeholder groups will improve the health of Africa’s biodiversity hotspots and combat worrying trends, such as the increase in poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Source: Al Jazeera (2022)
aljazeera.com/ news/2022/7/19/africas-wildlife-parks- managers-meet-to-boost-conservation
Oryx, 2022, 56(6), 803–808 © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605322001168
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