As the world grapples with COVID-19, conservationists in Africa are striving to contain rising wildlife poaching, which has been worsened by the pandemic.
When the pandemic hit the continent about seven months ago, many countries closed their borders and limited domestic movement. This brought the tourism sector, a key foreign exchange earner to many economies, to a grinding halt.
“The biggest impact of COVID-19 on conservation was the shutdown of the tourism industry,” Kaddu Sebunya, chief executive officer of African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), one of the oldest conservation agencies on the continent, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Africa strives to contain wildlife poaching worsened by COVID-19
When the pandemic hit the continent about seven months ago, many countries closed their borders and limited domestic movement. This brought the tourism sector, a key foreign exchange earner to many economies, to a grinding halt.
“The biggest impact of COVID-19 on conservation was the shutdown of the tourism industry,” Kaddu Sebunya, chief executive officer of African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), one of the oldest conservation agencies on the continent, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Africa strives to contain wildlife poaching worsened by COVID-19