Why are these nuts so obsessed with picking women for anti poaching??

May be it is all for TV rather than anti poaching??

Interesting article with a lot of misinformation. I didn’t know Kruger National Park has been moved to Mozambique.

No words, just

Some countries have too many stupid people.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Some countries have too many stupid people.

And I wish the stupid people in the West would keep to themselves!

These are just a bunch of self serving idiots making money off the sentiments of those who should know better!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Interesting article with a lot of misinformation. I didn’t know Kruger National Park has been moved to Mozambique.

Damien and his IAPF team were based inside Mozambique along the South African border and the Kruger National Park. I was involved as a PH and on the anti poaching side. We worked alongside the Kruger management and shared intelligence at every opportunity. The vast majority of poachers would traverse our Moz properties to infiltrate Kruger.

Over time we built up a great data field of incursion zones and paths taken. This enabled an effective anti-poaching op and ambush to be set up on the border, resulting in a vast number of poachers being apprehended and weapons destroyed. Historic numbers of Rhino deaths compared to the time I was there did in fact show a dramatic percentage drop in poaching.

Unfortunately for us on the ground, the bigger challenge came with prosecuting the Moz culprits, who after being incarcerated were soon released and back at work.

Damien's time in Moz did eventually end, but I can say with certainty tbat the IAPF team were a great asset. He moved to Zimbabwe and started up with females, as per the article. I don't have much contact with Damien anymore, other than the odd email. If his success with us in Moz transfers to his team of ladies, I am pretty sure he will do well there.

Catching and arresting are not the big problem, keeping these guys behind bars is.

The worst thing to happen in anti-poaching efforts is when the police became involved.

In the days gone by, you only poached once... just once.

I was hunting in 2013 during a large anti-poaching operation carried out jointly by the Tanzanian game department and the army. There were a number of female soldiers and/or game scouts and from what I could see, they were every bit as brutal, if not more so, on the poachers they caught. Which is saying quite a bit. (Moral of story, don't get arrested in Africa).

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Catching and arresting are not the big problem, keeping these guys behind bars is.

The worst thing to happen in anti-poaching efforts is when the police became involved.

In the days gone by, you only poached once... just once.

Ain't that the bloody truth.

We consulted with a top legal outfit based in Maputo, in an effort to understand the lack of prosecution we would get. We were told that possession of a Rhino horn in Moz was not illegal !!!!

One occasion when we apprehended some villains and their bounty, the police heard about it. The army heard about it. Fauna Bravia (Agricultural department) heard about it. Game department heard about it. They all arrived at our base and quite literally were in the throws of starting a war over who had jurisdiction of the retrieved horns. It got quite ugly. We were basically forced to give to the police, and God alone knows what happened after that.

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Catching and arresting are not the big problem, keeping these guys behind bars is.

The worst thing to happen in anti-poaching efforts is when the police became involved.

In the days gone by, you only poached once... just once.

Ain't that the bloody truth.

We consulted with a top legal outfit based in Maputo, in an effort to understand the lack of prosecution we would get. We were told that possession of a Rhino horn in Moz was not illegal !!!!

One occasion when we apprehended some villains and their bounty, the police heard about it. The army heard about it. Fauna Bravia (Agricultural department) heard about it. Game department heard about it. They all arrived at our base and quite literally were in the throws of starting a war over who had jurisdiction of the retrieved horns. It got quite ugly. We were basically forced to give to the police, and God alone knows what happened after that.

Just as we thought.

Someone tries to do some good, and all falls apart due to what is destroying Africa.

CORRUPTION.

The poachers are not the problem.

The problem is the people in the government and those they support in towns.

Funny looking people from the East will destroy everything that moves in Africa!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Catching and arresting are not the big problem, keeping these guys behind bars is.

The worst thing to happen in anti-poaching efforts is when the police became involved.

In the days gone by, you only poached once... just once.

Ain't that the bloody truth.

We consulted with a top legal outfit based in Maputo, in an effort to understand the lack of prosecution we would get. We were told that possession of a Rhino horn in Moz was not illegal !!!!

One occasion when we apprehended some villains and their bounty, the police heard about it. The army heard about it. Fauna Bravia (Agricultural department) heard about it. Game department heard about it. They all arrived at our base and quite literally were in the throws of starting a war over who had jurisdiction of the retrieved horns. It got quite ugly. We were basically forced to give to the police, and God alone knows what happened after that.

Just as we thought.

Someone tries to do some good, and all falls apart due to what is destroying Africa.

CORRUPTION.

The poachers are not the problem.

The problem is the people in the government and those they support in towns.

Funny looking people from the East will destroy everything that moves in Africa!

It’s more of an “agency” situation. The corruption starts with the money people paying the locals to do the dirty work with little rush to them. They will just get another lost soul to poach for the bounty or wait until the originals are released with no real punishment. It is a systemic problem top down to the even most bottom levels.

For example, the cartel kingpin ain’t out there on the street selling drugs. Those that are selling are expendable. Next one up philosophy. Sad, but true...

Neil is, of course, correct. There are a lot of OPINIONS here, but I have worked with some of Damian's guys and I know a fuller story.

The newspaper article is basically a rehash of crap in the media from years back. These stories have one purpose and one purpose only - to sell copy. For a more accurate depiction of what Damian is trying to achieve, read my piece in 'African Hunter', Volume 18, Number 5, 'The Green Army'. Even that article was during their early days, and their SOPs have morphed considerably since then.

The simple fact is that Damian's Akashinga unit operates very well on the ground, and it is perhaps better at gleaning intelligence on a local level than most units would be. Poachers are merely blunt instruments - the cartels are the ones who need to be taken out, and this can ONLY be done with good intelligence.

Is there corruption? Of course. Does it exist at the highest levels? Yes, it can. But before you write off ALL conservation enforcement in Africa with a knowing wink whilst cracking another beer, know that there are still a lot of dedicated folk in and out of government who are trying their best. Because so much of this work is done by NGO initiatives like the International Anti-Poaching Foundation there is more of a chance that irregularities will be exposed and even where there is corruption this can still be a powerful tool.

As usual the road to hell is paved with good intentions!! We did a bang up job of ruining South AFrica so we move on to bigger and better things, but we play fair, we planted wolve on our own shores, and who knows whats next.