World Animal Protection Calls for Urgent Action to Safeguard Africa’s Wildlife
As the world marks World Wildlife Day today, World Animal Protection (WAP) is calling for urgent measures to protect Africa’s wildlife from escalating threats that endanger their survival.
In a statement, WAP Wildlife Campaign Manager Edith Kabesiime warned that despite Africa being home to some of the world’s most unique species, its rich biodiversity is at risk due to a combination of underfunding, habitat destruction, wildlife trafficking, poaching, and exploitative policies.
“This heritage might be ruined in a few years. The emergence and expansion of wildlife captive farming for commercial gain is a ticking time bomb that needs to be addressed,” Kabesiime cautioned.
This year’s World Wildlife Day is themed “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet,” highlighting the urgent need for sustainable funding in wildlife protection.
Kabesiime emphasized that wildlife conservation efforts should be adequately funded, regardless of their direct revenue-generating potential, stating that the ecological balance sustained by wildlife is “far more valuable than any immediate financial gain.”
She further raised concerns over thousands of wild animals being poached, trafficked, bred, and farmed under cruel conditions every year, urging for a shift away from profit-driven exploitation to ethical and sustainable conservation practices.
To curb these threats, WAP is advocating for stronger policies that prevent the farming, capture, and sale of wild animals while promoting responsible tourism that does not exploit or harm wildlife.
“We need to promote coexistence between wildlife and communities by implementing community-based conservation programmes that reduce human-wildlife conflict and ensure local populations are at the forefront of protecting wildlife,” the statement reads.
Additionally, WAP is calling for stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws, including harsher penalties for wildlife crimes to dismantle illegal wildlife trade networks.
A Global Commitment to Protecting Wildlife
World Animal Protection, a global organisation dedicated to ending animal suffering, continues to champion advocacy, education, and direct interventions to safeguard both wild and domestic animals from cruelty and exploitation.
With Africa’s wildlife facing unprecedented threats, WAP urges governments, conservation organisations, and communities to mobilize resources and integrate sustainable conservation strategies into annual budgets to protect natural ecosystems for future generations.
By Sharon Atieno
