Horns, claws and the bottom line: Game conservation in Africa

The article maintain that Governments have mostly failed to protect Africa's wildlife and other models involving hunters, rich conservationists and local farmers are showing promise. According to the authors, only eight specimens of the northern white rhino are left alive on the planet and they are all in captivity, and chances of saving it are remote. The story of this white rhino is however an example of a wider decline of biodiversity in Africa. A recent study by the London Zoological Society and UNEP claims that the population of big animals in African national parks (excluding elephants and rhinos) have dropped by 59% since 1970. However there is a broad agreement that one way of improving conservation in Africa, is to upgrade national parks and the three countries of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa have been effective in that. But where governments have failed, entire management of these parks could be handed over to outside like the Tswalu private conservancy owned by Nicky Oppenheimer. This article is available in the latest issue of the Economist in HOORC Library.