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SCIENCE Tuesday 23 June 2020
Coronavirus lockdowns increase poaching in Asia, Africa

Associated Press ed to incorporate public
NEW DELHI (AP) — A cam- health concerns. They point
era trap photo of an in- out that some commonly
jured tigress and a forensic traded species, such as
examination of its carcass horseshoe bats, often carry
revealed why the crea- viruses but are currently not
ture died: a poacher's subject to trade restrictions
wire snare punctured its under CITES.
windpipe and sapped its "That is a big gap in the
strength as the wound fes- framework," said John
tered for days. Scanlon, former Secretary-
Snares like this one set in General of CITES now with
southern India's dense for- African Parks. "We may find
est have become increas- that there may be certain
ingly common amid the animals that should be list-
coronavirus pandemic, ed and not be traded or
as people left jobless turn traded under strict condi-
to wildlife to make money tions and certain markets
and feed their families. This November 2014 photo provided by the Wildlife Trust of India shows a leopard caught in a trap that ought to be closed."q
Authorities in India are con- in a forest in Karnataka, India.
cerned this spike in poach- Associated Press
ing not only could kill more
endangered tigers and tice Commission reported of the Wildlife Conserva- the previous 11 months,
leopards but also species traders were stockpiling tion Society, said patrolling according to a review by
these carnivores depend pangolin scales in several national parks in several the government and World
upon to survive. Southeast Asia countries African countries has been Wildlife Fund or WWF.
"It is risky to poach, but if awaiting an end to the designated essential work. For many migrants return-
pushed to the brink, some pandemic. But she has heard about in- ing to villages after losing
could think that these are Rhino horn is being stock- creased hunting of animals jobs, forests were the "easi-
risks worth taking," said Ma- piled in Mozambique, the outside parks. "We are ex- est source" of sustenance,
yukh Chatterjee, a wildlife report said, and ivory trad- pecting to see an increase said Shiv Raj Bhatta, direc-
biologist with the non-profit ers in Southeast Asia are in bushmeat hunting for tor of programs at WWF Ne-
Wildlife Trust of India. struggling to sell the stock- food – duikers, antelopes pal.
Since the country an- piles amassed since China's and monkeys," she said. In Southeast Asia, the Wild-
nounced its lockdown, 2017 ban on trade in ivory Jansen also said bushmeat life Conservation Society
at least four tigers and six products. The pandemic poaching was soaring, es- documented in April the
leopards have been killed compounded their plight pecially in parts of southern poisoning in Cambodia of
by poachers, Wildlife Pro- because many Chinese Africa. "Rural people are three critically endangered
tection Society of India customers were unable to struggling to feed them- giant ibises for the wad-
said. But there also were travel to ivory markets in selves and their families," ing bird's meat. More than
numerous other poach- Cambodia, Laos and other he said. 100 painted stork chicks
ing casualities — gazelles countries. There are also signs of in- were also poached in late
in grasslands, foot-long "They are desperate to get creased poaching in parts March in Cambodia at the
giant squirrels in forests, it off their hands. Nobody of Asia. largest waterbird colony in
wild boars and birds such wants to be stuck with that A greater one-horned rhino Southeast Asia.
as peacocks and purple product," said Sarah Ston- was gunned down May "Suddenly rural people
morhens. er, director of intelligence 9 in India's Kaziranga Na- have little to turn to but nat-
In many parts of the devel- for the commission. tional Park -- the first case in ural resources and we're
oping world, coronavirus The illegal trade in pango- over a year. Three people, already seeing a spike
lockdowns have sparked lins continued "unabated" suspected to be a part of in poaching," said Colin
concern about increased within Africa but interna- an international poaching Poole, the group's regional
illegal hunting that's fueled tional trade has been dis- ring, were arrested on June director for the Greater
by food shortages and a rupted by port closures, 1 with automatic rifles and Mekong.
decline in law enforcement said Ray Jansen, chairman ammunition, said Uttam Heartened by closure of
in some wildlife protection of the African Pangolin Saikia, a wildlife warden. wildlife markets in China
areas. At the same time, Working Group. As in other parts of the over concerns about a
border closures and travel "We have witnessed some world, poachers in Kaziran- possible link between the
restrictions slowed illegal trade via air while major ga pay poor families pal- trade and the coronavi-
trade in certain high-value ship routes are still closed try sums of money to help rus, several conservation
species. but we expect a flood of them. With families losing groups are calling for gov-
One of the biggest disrup- trade once shipping av- work from the lockdown, ernments to put measures
tions involves the endan- enues reopen again," Jan- "they will definitely take ad- in place to avoid future
gered pangolin. Often sen said. vantage of this," warned pandemics. Among them is
caught in parts of Africa Fears that organized Saikia. a global ban on commer-
and Asia, the anteater- poaching in Africa would In neighboring Nepal, cial sale of wild birds and
like animals are smuggled spike largely have not ma- where the virus has rav- mammals destined for the
mostly to China and South- terialized — partly because aged important income dinner table.
east Asia, where their meat ranger patrols have contin- from migrants and tourists, Others say an internation-
is considered a delicacy ued in many national parks the first month of lockdown al treaty, known as CITES,
and scales are used in tra- and reserves. saw more forest-related which regulates the trade
ditional medicine. Emma Stokes, director of crimes, including poaching in endangered plants and
In April, the Wildlife Jus- the Central Africa Program and illegal logging, than animals, should be expand-