National News

Malawi intensifies campaign against illegal wildlife trade

Malawi’s wildlife experts have ganged up with the country’s security machinery to counter illegal wildlife trade that has seen the nation’s primed natural game heritage declining to alarming levels.

The crackdown is also aimed at blocking criminal syndicates from using the country as a transit route to export wildlife products such as ivory, rhino horns and hippo teeth from neighbouring countries and East Africa to Asia.

Lilongwe Wildlife Trust General Manager, Jonathan Vaughan, said the campaign follows the commemoration of the country’s first ever Wildlife Day in March which was in response to the UN’s World Wildlife Day which aims at highlighting the value and contributions of wild animals and plants.

“Due to the global attention on international wildlife trafficking, the campaign has special focus on elephants and the ivory trade,” said Vaughan.

As part of the campaign, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), Department of Civil Aviation, and Malawi Police Service last Friday went to Kamuzu International Airport, the country’s main airport where they mounted banners around the transit lounges.

Acting Airport Commandant in the Department of Civil Aviation, Don Chimtengo, said the country‘s security apparatus has been previously working against illegal wildlife trafficking but that there was need for such joint effort to combat the vice.

Related Articles

Back to top button