The 3 freshly poached lesser kudu and 1 dikdik in this photo are sadly not an anomaly. We are hearing from our partners on the ground that poaching for bushmeat and other incidents of wildlife crime are increasing.

Shutting down non-essential businesses and travel has caused a severe lack of funds for conservation efforts and left countless individuals out of work. The tourism industry is the main source of employment and income for the over 10,000 residents in Chiawa, Zambia. The same can be said for large communities throughout Africa. Now after weeks and months out of work some are turning to wildlife crime to feed their families and make ends meet.

Thankfully in the case of the kudu and dikdik from this picture 2 bushmeat poachers were arrested. An informer tip off and aerial sighting of poachers with motorbikes carrying bushmeat lead to their successful apprehension. Our partners on the ground (in this case Tsavo Trust) are maintaining surveillance and patrols despite the severe financial hardship.

One of the words we keep hearing these days is “uncertain”. We live in “uncertain times”, the future of businesses is “uncertain”, and even the future of conservation is “uncertain”. With this uncertainty comes a need for people to understand how our world is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reports from the field indicate an increase in wildlife crime, including poaching, and a dire need to help subsistence communities and law enforcement who due to the collapse of tourism have lost all financial support and assistance. In an effort to explain how COVID-19 can have such a huge impact on elephants and habitats, we developed this flow chart. It does not encompass every nuance and issue the world is experiencing, but it provides perspective on how we are all interconnected.

A crisis with one species (humans) can have a devastating effect on another. As keystone species and environmental engineers of their habitats, elephants play vital roles therefore the loss of elephants causes the loss of countless other species of fauna and flora.

Elephants and wildlife need your help! Your support can make the difference during this difficult time.