The Foreign Service Journal, October 2018

36 OCTOBER 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL A Complex Problem However, the effects of wildlife trafficking run deeper than the animals lost; the practice also harms the people who live in or near affected areas. Rural communities living close to protected areas are often perceived as part of the problem; they are believed to be taking part in or indirectly facilitating the illegal activities. In reality, many members of rural communities are negatively affected by wildlife traffick- ing syndicates. Exposure to illicit trafficking networks and the influx of illegal funds can lead to social instability, with repercussions such as increased drug and alcohol abuse and the sexual exploitation of women. Many of the communities living in and around the GLTFCA have a complex relationship with park management. As a result of forced relocations during the creation of these protected areas, they may have lost access to natural resources and cultural heritage sites. Rural communities living around protected areas face additional challenges such as poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and poor access to water, health care, education and proper sanitation. In many cases communities derive little or no benefit from the wildlife in neighboring protected areas. On the contrary, often protected wildlife like elephants, hippos, lions and leopards destroy crops and kill livestock, or even people themselves. Such challenges create conditions that are rife for criminal syndicates to embed themselves in the community and recruit people, particularly young men, to become involved in wildlife trafficking. In recent years there has been growing bipartisan interest in the issue. In 2013 President Barack Obama issued an execu- tive order to increase the U. S. government’s efforts to reduce wildlife trafficking domestically and provide assistance to foreign nations. In 2014 a Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking created by President Obama developed the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. A number of government agencies—includ- ing the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Above: There are various types of land use around Kruger National Park. Here a farmer walks his cattle herd just outside the park. Below: During World Wildlife Day in March, the South African Police Service gave a sniffer dog demonstration at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to show how rhino horn can be detected in luggage.