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| elephant bodies in Bouba N'Djida Park |
The government of Cameroon, belatedly realizing that it risks the complete lost of national heritage to organized elephant poachers has deployed troops to the field to stop the slaughter for ivory. A hundred or so soldiers entered Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida National Park, the scene of massive killings over the last two months by Sudanese militia members crossing the boarder from Chad for ivory
{29.02.12}. Because the area is remote and not secure, reports of the number of elephants killed are not precise, but upwards of 400 has been mentioned
[photo: IFAW]. The estimate of the entire herd in the national park is believed to be only 400. Northern Cameroon accounts for 80% of the total savanna elephants in all of Central Africa, so the situation is grave. A publicity stunt will not suffice warn conservationists. The perpetrators must be engaged, killed or arrested, and those arrested brought to justice. WWF officials alerted the government earlier to the rise in poaching activity along Cameroon's border, and a group of ambassadors in Cameroon also warned the government about the lack of security in the nation's national parks.
In Virunga National Park, DRC, rangers are being trained to handle scent hounds. Just recently deployed, the "Congohound" teams are already meeting with success in identifying poached animals and tracking the poachers to their camps. The canine unit is funded by the EU. Hound training was done at a Swiss center that has trained many canine units in Europe and North America.
Unfortunately, two Kenyan rangers were killed by poachers while on duty earlier this month. The rangers were removing snares in Sagala Ranch when they were ambushed and killed. Their rifles and ammunition were taken. Thirty-three people were rounded up by Kenyan authorities and detained for questioning.
