The coronavirus lockdowns have been especially devastating to the tourism industry, and not just here in the U.S. The effects have been severe in the areas of Africa dependent on wildlife tourism. Rangers have been laid off due to the loss of tourist revenue, and just the absence of the tourists and researchers usually present has emboldened poachers.
Meanwhile, scamsters are offering medicines containing rhino horn as a cure for coronavirus. China has promised to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade because of the coronavirus pandemic; whether they actually do it is another story.
It’s not just the criminal syndicates going after high-value items like rhinoceros horn; conservationists fear ordinary people will turn to poaching bush meat, just to feed their families. With tourism shut down, millions of people have lost their jobs, and it’s not unusual for one tourism worker to be supporting 15-20 individuals.
Charities that usually support conservation in Africa are doing what they can, but they’re suffering a drop in donations due to the economic impact of the pandemic. Some tour companies are asking their customers for donations to keep their employees from being laid off.
If you’re looking for a way to help, The Nature Conservancy and Big Life are among the organizations working on this. The best way to help wildlife is to help people. They’re raising money to pay rangers to guard parks and reserves, providing income as well as protecting wildlife. A little goes a long way in Africa.