Animal Poaching Archives - Nikela: Helping People Saving Wildlife

How the Baby Elephant Lost His Trunk to Animal Poaching

Mar 4, 2020 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, elephant, Nikela Blog, wild animals, wildlife conservation, Wildlife Trafficking Tagged: elephant poaching, Lynn Clifford, Malawi, ranger scout

Animal poaching is never pretty. Wildlife of all sizes can fall prey to being brutally killed for its meat or other valued body parts. Rhino get poached for their horn. Elephants for their tusks. Pangolin for their scales. Lions for their paws. And the list goes on. The poacher frequently uses primitive means to bring down his prey. Some have told us they use spears while others prefer laying snares. Both are cruel. Both generally deadly. Snares are made out of wire. The wire is carefully bent into a series of loops that constrict when the animal steps into it,…

Over a dozen Pangolin Rescue Missions and now an Enclosure

Jan 21, 2020 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, endangered, illegal hunting, Nikela Blog, Pangolin Tagged: endangered species, Moses Arineitwe, rescue, saving pangolin, Uganda

Looking back on 2019 I was astounded to see that Nikela funded over a dozen Pangolin Rescue Missions. 90% of them with successful results where the little critter was found alive and well enough for release. Sadly, there are times when Moses arrives too late and the pangolin has been sold or has died. On one occasion, although rescued alive, the injured little guy succumbed to the stab wounds. Then there was the happy time when to everyone’s surprise the poached pangolin was a mum with a tiny youngster. Moses says, that was absolutely the best day! Both where healthy…

Saving Pangolin or Snatching Food from the Poor?

Jan 15, 2020 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, endangered, Illegal trade, Nikela Blog, Pangolin, wildlife conservation, Wildlife Trafficking Tagged: alternative livelihood, helping people, Moses Arineitwe, reformed poachers, saving pangolin

It’s in the southern part of Uganda close to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Moses is saving pangolin. The people live in far flung villages. The majority of them are literally dirt poor. They live off the land and the forests that surround them. Snaring and hunting with spears is common practice. As is going hungry. Enter Moses. As a young person Moses had a gorilla encounter that sent his life on a trajectory to preserve and protect wildlife. After starting his small NGO to raise awareness as an adult things just snowballed. Today Moses provides poachers with…

What Do Poverty, Poaching And a False Economy Have in Common

Sep 24, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, Nikela Blog, Poaching, wildlife conservation Tagged: alternative livelihood, beekeeping, Moses Arineitwe, stop poaching, Tilapia fish farming

What is a false economy? Vincent Barkas with ProTrack (a formidable anti-poaching operation) probably explains it best. In areas around large populations of wildlife villages spring up. Some are home to poor farmers and a host of the unemployed. While others oddly enough sprout larger cement block homes and even a few late model cars. Then the real extreme… Rolex watches and designer clothes. As time goes on the poor are less poor and the well-to-do move closer to filthy-rich. What has happened? Poaching has taken hold. The syndicates who deal in illegal drugs and guns are also into smuggling…

What If There Was A Better Way To Help Save Wildlife?

Sep 11, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, Illegal trade, Moses, Nikela Blog, wild animals, wildlife conservation, Wildlife Trafficking Tagged: alternative livelihood, Moses Arineitwe, reformed poachers, stop poaching, Uganda, wildlife trafficking

“I want to help save wildlife, but…” About once a month I get an email vibrating with enthusiasm. Another individual anxious to get involved, but… Not sure how, not sure who and not sure where. When you think of a way to help save wildlife what comes to mind first? For most of us making a donation jumps out. But frequently right behind that comes the, BUT… How do I find a reputable wildlife conservation organization in Africa? Who can I trust to make the best use of my donation? Where do I begin to look? And before we know…