Access to new resource related to animal rights and protection added to PMWL
Resource provided by Grace Chebet
27 May 2020 – Kisumu, Kenya – Access to a new resource has been added to the PM World Library (PMWL) related to solving global problems, in this case wild animal rights and protection. The new resource is titled “Wildlife Protection and Trafficking Assessment in Kenya”, a paper by Sam Weru published in Researchgate.com in 2016.
Kenya is home to some of the richest biodiversity and most striking landscapes in Africa. The country’s growing population and economy have significant impacts on the natural resources, particularly wildlife and wild spaces. Wildlife-based tourism is identified as one of 6 key sectors planned to deliver a 10% growth rate each year. Prior to colonization, natural resources were protected and managed through a system of cultural beliefs and myths but with colonization and globalization, there was increased levels of commercial trade and resource exploitation. There was an enormous demand for wildlife products and “trophies” such as elephant tusks for piano keys and even big cat skins. Though there are now bans on such activities, poaching remains to be a huge threat even today. Over the last 100 years, the number of elephants has reduced dramatically due to the ivory trade from 167,000 in 1973 to 20,000 in 1990.
In the 1960’s, the number of black Rhinos in Africa was 100,000 but the numbers have dropped to 2,410 in 1995 and with improved conservation efforts, the numbers rose to 5,081 in 2013. Only 4 countries in Africa still have black Rhinos. Currently, Kenya has the 3rd largest population of both the black and white Rhinos in the world. Kenya’s Rhino poaching rate stands at 6% p.a. which is higher than the population growth rate. The northern white rhino is extinct in the wild, 4 have been placed in a private game reserve in Kenya under a plan to re-introduce them into the former ranges if successful. The rhino horn was highly prized as an ingredient in traditional medicine in East Asia and for traditional dagger handles in Yemen.
Kenya is also home to 3 out of 4 species of African pangolins that are classified as vulnerable. Re-emergence of 21st century poaching and trafficking correlates closely with local level poverty, national level corruption, and poor co-ordination among law enforcement and custom agencies among other reasons. Wildlife poaching and trafficking has attracted global attention as it is one of the largest transnational criminal activities that have even been linked to militant and terrorist groups.
To access this new resource, go to the Solving Global Problems section of the library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/solving-global-problems/, scroll down and click on wildlife protection-land animals, scroll down to resource. Free access, but please consider registering for the Free Trial Membership to access everything in the library.
This new resource provided through the PMWL university research internship program; to learn more, click here
