The ongoing armed conflict in South Sudan is having a serious effect on the country’s wildlife, with a dramatic increase in poaching, conservationists and wildlife officials have said.
Both the government and the rebels are slaughtering wild animals in large numbers to feed their troops, Philip Chol, the director general in the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism, told The New Nation.
“Their commanders order mass killing of animals for food at the frontlines. Some even sell bush meat in the market. Opportunists and criminals have also taken advantage of the breakdown in law and order to increase their illegal activities,” Chol said.
Poaching has always been a common practice in South Sudan. But since the violence erupted in December 2013, there has been an upsurge in the killing of wildlife by soldiers as well as armed civilians.
The conflict is hindering efforts of wildlife officers to conduct routine patrols in national game parks and wildlife reserves, Chol explained.
Many wildlife officers have also run away from their work stations, which means they can no longer conduct patrols to prevent poaching.
The problem is made worse by political interference, lack of awareness of the importance of wildlife, and lack of anti-poaching laws to try those arrested.
“High ranking officials usually go free when they are apprehended for poaching in protected areas. And the courts don’t take the issue seriously,” he said.
Moreover, the poachers are often better armed and equipped than the rangers who are supposed to protect the animals.
The extent of poaching in the last few months has been documented by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a US group.
Its deputy director in South Sudan, Michael Lopidia, told The New Nation that over 300 kg of bush meat has been impounded between January and March, some of which was hidden under dry fish.
The bush meat was mainly from reedbucks, tiang antelopes and white eared kobs, which are common in Badingilo Park in Central and Eastern Equatoria.
“Although these species are common in Badingilo, they move a lot and in large numbers. So it is easy for poachers to kill them when they move to other parks, like Shambe (near Rumbek),” Lopidia said.
Leopards, giraffes and zebras are also being slaughtered. Ten leopard skins were discovered during security operations in Juba in March, he said.
In addition, the country is losing its elephants at an alarming rate.
On March 7, wildlife forces seized 12 elephant tusks, all weighing 53 kg, in Lantoto National Park in Yei, according to WCS.
On March 21 and 22, another 21 tusks were seized in Atlabara suburb of Juba. This was followed by the recovery of nine tusks in Malakia suburb on March 24.
That means in March alone, 42 tusks were seized, which translates in the death of 21 elephants.
Again, at the end of May, two elephant tusks were seized in Riwoto in Kapoeta and another tusk in Narus in Kapoeta East county.
“There seems to be an organised group that deals in these heinous crimes. They are taking advantage of the war and the fact that the borders are porous,” said Lopidia.
He believes the tusks were destined for China, where chopsticks, bracelets and other ornaments made of ivory are popular.
“Some 200 pieces of elephant tusks were impounded in Mombasa. We believe they came from South Sudan and were headed to the Far East, specifically to China,” Lopidia said.
A Chinese was arrested last year smuggling bangles carved from elephant tusks through Juba International Airport. The bangles were hidden in milk tins, according to WCS. And earlier this year an Egyptian trader was arrested at the same airport, trying to transport several kilograms of ivory in his suitcase. The Wildlife Conservation Society has estimated that at the current rate of poaching, South Sudan’s elephants could be wiped out in the next five years. Already, the country has fewer than 5,000 elephants left, down from around 130,000 in 1986. In a bid to track their movements, the US group has equipped elephants with collars that have GPS systems. However, it has lost track of eight of the 38 collared elephants in recent months. “Some GPS systems might have stopped functioning because the batteries went down. But we can’t rule out that some elephants were killed,” Lokidia said
The group has evidence that at least one elephant was killed in Nimule and another one in Duk county in Jonglei.
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