Coming Soon:

• Somaliland: A Cry for Recognition and Independence

• France's Sarkozy: "[In Africa] there is no place for progress..."

COMING SOON!!!!

Endangered African Wild Dogs In Global Trade

A recent undercover documentary by a Dutch reporter showed a booming trade, sometimes illegal, sometimes gray but always ethically objectionable, in African wildlife. Mammals ranging from black rhinos to cheetahs to monkeys are being sold for good money on the international market. What is troublesome is that some of those animals sold to zoo's are captured in the wild, going against the reason modern zoo's exist in the first place, not to mention the guidelines set forth by international zoo organizations such as EAZA. The wild dogs are amongst the most endangered species traded and what is even more perplexing is the fact that they're not even protected by international law.

Lycaon Pictus.

The underdog among the larger African predators is also one of its lesser known apex species. Since they have not been featured in most popular movies and documentaries as prominently as some of the other mammals from the continent, their existence has gone largely unnoticed by the public. Whatever the reason for this neglect may be, it is time to shed some light on this fascinating hunter and social animal. Because it is even less known to many of us the African wild dog is in trouble and the small group of people who are trying to save it from extinction need a helping hand.

The wild dog (or Lycoan pictus to those "in the know") is an incredibly social pack hunter easily identified in the first instance by its unmistakable dog-like appearance and the random patterns of their coats, which is unique to each individual. If encountered for the first time by travellers to the continent it is usually the significant size of the dog's ears that is most often commented on. Indeed, compared to the rest of their body their ears are about the size of small dinner plates. 

What is especially intriguing about them however is the order and stability within these packs (which can range from 2 to 20 individuals). Sights such as offspring being killed by adults as sometimes occurs in spotted hyena packs or only leftovers being given to the cubs as in the case of lions will not be witnessed with the wild dog. Their cubs are fed first after a kill has been made and constantly protected by their mother, usually the alpha female of the pack. The cubs are also serviced by a rotating schedule of babysitters - other adult dogs - with loving care and completely free of charge, which you would be hard pressed to accomplish with humans. 

The final point which sets these canines apart from those other "uncivilized" predators is the fact that when a pack becomes too large a split will occur where a pair or small group will leave to form a new pack. This does not coincide with any kind of violence or name-calling, or even a discussion on territory. No. The new pack simply wanders off, giving their old family enough space but not making any formal territorial boundaries, and go on to do what they do best: hunting and looking after the kids.

"They're Nothing, Wild Dogs Are Nothing."

For the sake of enterprise attempts have been made, in South Africa that I know of, to tame a wild dog. Much to the surprise of several limping individuals, unlike other big predators such as lions and cheetahs, wild dogs have never shown the slightest inclination to roll over and play dead. Good for them I say. Unfortunately this has not stopped the global trade in these endangered animals. 

The wild dog does not appear on the critical list of endangered species, the CITES Appendices (there are three). This has been a little publicised fact in the media or with conservation groups, until now anyway. Some smart entrepreneurs in South Africa know about this omission however and are being sold to zoo's all over the world, sometimes into very poor conditions (China). The reason why they are not on the CITES Appendices are unclear, but has supposedly something to do with their trade not being seen as seriously threatening to their survival, despite their low numbers.

Because of their need for a large habitat, their inability to become domesticated and their unpopularity with farmers and other rural peoples, the wild dog is really only "useful" as a commodity on the wildlife market. And due to their unprotected status they're also a popular item on the black market. According to the Dutch documentary, a wild dog catches about $1,500 on the market. As their unprotected status is discussed with animal trader Mike Bester he confirms to the reporter that "they're not even CITES three, they're nothing".

And Now For My Final Trick.

Independent traders like Mike Bester or private trusts such as the famous De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust are not allowed to sell their animals to zoo's which are members of the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (most zoo's are). Luckily those clever people have thought of a solution to get around this problem. Here's how they sell their dogs to your local safari park or zoo:

• Mike Bester is not only an independent trader but has registered the land where he keeps his stock as a "zoo".
• This zoo status allows him to trade with other zoo's around the world.
• He has also eaten his way up to the Executive Committee of the African Association of Zoos & Aquaria, making it very easy to obtain the required paperwork.
• Additionally he is also "working" at De Wildt in their marketing department.

(Wait for it, here comes the really smart bit.)

• De Wildt claim on the documentary that they give away their wild dogs, which is not an exact lie and is the only way they can get rid of their wild dogs because they're a trust.
• The dogs are of course given to Mike Bester.
• Mike then sells them on to zoo's around the world (China, Europe, the States, South America).
• The profit from the sale are likely transferred to De Wildt, but Mike also gets a commission in the form of a salary - he does work at the De Wildt after all.

Now that is clever. Let me say, as a sort of disclaimer I guess, that De Wildt obviously does have a place when it comes to the protection of cheetahs and their past in nature conservation cannot be denied. However their practise of taming animals, especially cheetahs, for purposes of attracting tourists and funds, is not in the true spirit of conservation or wildlife management. Frankly, it's embarassing. Feel free to disagree with me of course, it is my own opinion after all.

The Last Stand of the Painted Dog.

Despite his unprotected status the wild dog does not stand alone. Several organizations have as   their purpose the protection of the wild dog and their re-release into the wild. Somewhat surprisingly one of the most successful is located in Zimbabwe and the grim situation there notwithstanding continues business as usual. This is the Painted Dog Conservation. Their work includes environmental education lessons to inform the locals about the importance of protecting the wild dog, who many still regard as a pest. They're ideally located in Zim actually since it is the only country where the wild dog population has risen lately. 

Current range of the African wild dog

Help is also arriving from a perhaps unexpected corner of the world. The European Parliament is in the process of passing a motion to have the African wild dog placed on the CITES Appendices (problably II). This motion should pass and hopefully the CITES board will take notice. 

In the meantime have a look at the documentary here: TweeVandaag.

Since the neutrality of this article was lost somewhere in the first or second sentence, I feel compelled to ask you that should you want to send a carefully worded e-mail to certain trusts or individuals, they can be reached here:

• Vanessa Bouwer, Deputy Director at De Wildt: cheetah@dewildt.org.za
• Mike Bester, Bester Birds & Animals: zoo@besterbirdsanimals.co.za
• Manus Pretorius, Mafunyane Import & Export: info@mafunyane.com

Elephants Stuck In The Middle Between CITES & China

African elephants, or more specifically their ivory, are once again the centre of controversy now that 108 tonnes of their precious tusks are being auctioned to China and Japan. The ivory originates from four southern African countries and has been collected over the years through culls, natural deaths and seizures of poached tusks. The sale has been criticized by wildlife conservation groups because of fears that it will increase demand and subsequently stimulate the illegal trade.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) approved China as potential bidder at a meeting in Geneva this July. The four African sellers, namely Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, had been awaiting this decision in order to create competition between the two bidders to drive up the price. The sale is further supported by the United Nations' World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the WWF. 

“The sight of ivory openly and illegally on sale in many African cities is likely to be a far more powerful encouragement to those contemplating poaching and smuggling, than a strictly controlled one-off sale,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme. “The only way to end elephant poaching is through an effective clampdown on illegal domestic ivory markets.” To illustrate this point, the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) lists Nigeria as only having made 12 ivory seizures in 20 years.

By contrast China is now involved in 63% of global ivory seizures, up from 6% in 2002.

Traffic, an independent organization which monitors the global wildlife trade, is cautiously optimistic. "In 2002, China was the principal driver of the illegal trade and made very few seizures. Now it has been making seizures left, right and centre. They've added 100 seizures this year alone. On the domestic front China has moved aggressively." said Tom Milliken, director of eastern and southern African operations for Traffic, which monitors the trade and advises Cites.

A leading opponent of the auction is the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Michael Wamithi, the director of the Elephant Programme at IFAW made the following statement. "China is the single largest destination for illegal ivory and to accept them as an importer for these legal stocks will only sustain the rampant poaching that African nations are faced with today. We hope Cites puts the brakes on these sales which will undoubtedly prompt even further slaughter."

The Environmental Investigation Agency which tracks illegal wildlife sales through undercover operations is also concerned that while the buyers may have satisfied the CITES requirements, the illegal trade is still prospering. Mary Rice, the head of campaigns at the EIA, stated their figures of the Chinese market place still indicate a serious problem which will not be alleviated by the upcoming auction.

And the money goes to...

Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Part of the agreement with CITES concerning the revenues made from the auction is that these must be used for domestic elephant conservation, community development and conservation programmes. CITES and Traffic will be monitoring that this will be the case in each country. 

Those of you who are reading this and have some knowledge of what poor African states prefer to spend their money on might be sceptical that much if any of these revenues will go to their intended targets. Only time will tell, but rest assured that a follow-up article will appear once such information is available. 

An obvious worry is of course Zimbabwe. I asked myself how, in a country which has no working government, economy or monetary system, these millions of ivory dollars will be spent. While it is apparently still possible for foreign hunters to get their trophies, the state of Zim's conservation programmes is uncertain at best. Reports indicate that many animals, even in the national parks, have been hunted and killed for sustenance by an increasingly desperate population. I have been given assurances by TRAFFIC that the funds will be tracked by their office in Zimbabwe once the auction has concluded, probably the best reassurance one can hope for. 

I do support the sale of ivory, this one time of course, as the various national conservation agencies desperately need funds to sustain their programmes which protect the African wilds. In the case of South Africa, the government only supplies around 13% of the budget of the national parks. A ridiculously low amount considering that the South African National Parks is in essence a non-profit organization but on the other hand is very much controlled by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). Increasing the park's capacity to entertain tourists is the result of this under-funding which in turn causes more "wear and tear" on the park's fragile natural infrastructure. It is a delicate balance of course because tourism is obviously much needed, but being able to obtain funds not generated by tourism will ease the pressure to make a profit.

Off-Topic: The FAQ on the website of the Zimbabwean National Parks casts some doubts on the nature of their activities. Have a look for yourself here. 

AfriFlash: Video Of Vote Rigging In Zim

The very first video evidence of vote rigging in Zimbabwe has been made public by the Guardian newspaper. The footage was made by a former prison guard named Shepherd Yuda, who has since fled the country with his pregnant wife and children.

It is particularly good footage because there is no way around it: this is hard evidence that Robert Mugabe stole the vote. One tactic of Zanu-PF, the ruling party, to counter allegations of corruption and violence was to say that it was a lie, usually followed with an explanation of a Western conspiracy. However such denial is no longer possible with this video. If it had only been footage of the guard in question filming himself voting for Bob Mugabe, that could still be denied as an elaborate set-up by (yet again) those nasty Western conspirators. Unfortunately for those of you in denial we also see footage taken inside the prison of MDC secretary Tendai Biti who is awaiting trial, in addition to several other political prisoners. Such footage could not be tricked in any way unfortunately...

But see for yourselves and let there be no further doubt in your mind about the grim reality that is Zimbabwe.

The Guardian video

IOL Article

Big Tobacco and the Youth of Africa

"I like to ride with the people. Know your clients. My people cram themselves into a tiny seat, pop a Xanex, and dream of the moment when they can stuff their face with fresh tobacco. If I can convince just one of these kids to pick up smoking, I've paid for my flight. Round trip!"

- Nick Naylor, "Thank You For Smoking"

How do you defend the seemingly indefensible? Nicotine addictions and all that implies have been rising rapidly in Africa, with a reported 100,000 deaths (WHO) annually through tobacco-related illnesses. The World Health Organization is quoting local doctors who are foreseeing a doubling of that figure in the next 20 years if laws and regulations are not enforced by governments across the continent. In a recent documentary made for BBC2's This World, businessman Duncan Bannatyne points a spotlight on underage smoking in Malawi, Nigeria and Mauritius. 

Dispensing with any boardroom rhetoric and press statements, Bannatyne goes on to present evidence of questionable marketing strategies employed by Africa's largest nicotine provider, British American Tobacco (BAT). Although smoking advertisements have been banned in Mauritius for over 10 years, BAT has creatively been able to keep a presence on the streets: shops have been painted in the same colour as Matinee (one of the leading brands), single stick dispensers have been provided to shops by BAT, making cigarettes affordable for children, and large music festivals are being sponsored by Benson & Hedges along with a chance to win luxury prizes if you attend. 

The documentary no doubt caused some shock amongst viewers, who witnessed children as young as 11 years old buy single sticks from a shop. Additionally, the prize for most ironic charity project went to BAT for offering to build a new cancer ward at a hospital in Nigeria if they would be allowed to paint the building in the company colours. The mind staggers to comprehend...

Not surprisingly BAT issued a detailed press statement in response to the documentary and vigorously defends its operations in Africa. Some of its statements were the following:

"...we do not believe this programme showed any clear evidence of our Marketing Standards being breached or of any laws being broken by our companies."

"Like Duncan Bannatyne, we really do not want children to smoke, but sadly, we don’t think this programme ever really got to grips with effective ways to prevent this from happening."

"The programme showed Pall Mall branded items such as t-shirts and caps for attendees, which by the way all carried health warnings. But it did not report that this is already something our companies no longer do."

The type of denial made in the last statement can be found throughout the press release. Apparently all the marketing tricks uncovered in the documentary have long since been halted and BAT's operations in Africa now confirms to their strict and "ethical" marketing policy. This change in policy must have been made not too long ago however, since in the documentary all these tactics were still in use. Perhaps Bannatyne did not convince BAT's board of their misbehaviour, but he did succeed by making the sale of cigarettes a little bit more difficult.

It is likely cigarettes will be with us always, or for at least for a very long time, and you might as well jump on a horse and chase windmills for all the good talk about shutting down tobacco companies will do. A more effective path to take is that of international regulations on the sale and marketing of cigarettes and other tobacco products. What is making it more difficult in Africa, and especially in the countries highlighted, is a lack of resources to implement such regulations or in some cases easily avoided officials.

BAT is witnessing yet another large market slowly turn from an "open" into a "regulated" one. Another relevant step on the long road to decrease smoke-related deaths and make people realize that smoking, as Duncan Bannatyne puts it, is totally unnecessary.     

AfriFlash: Mandela No Longer A Terrorist

In a surprise move (...ahem), the United States have removed Nelson Mandela and South African government officials belonging to the ANC party from the list of terrorist suspects. The ANC was designated as a terrorist organization by South Africa's apartheid regime and many Western governments followed this policy line. 

Although South Africa has had a relatively free and fair democracy for over a decade and despite the fact that Madiba is also on another famous list (Nobel something or other), U.S. lawmakers had postponed this amendment until now.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the issue "rather embarassing". 

A Murderer Leading The Blind: Crisis in Zimbabwe

Yes, there is a crisis in Zimbabwe Mr. Mbeki...

The severe political and economic problems in Zim have recently been speeding up due to Robert Mugabe's overt statements of declaring war on the opposition who he accuses of violence and treason. According to the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), over 60 of its supporters have been killed in recent weeks, its offices have been ransacked by state security forces and its secretary has been arrested on charges of treason, a crime punishable by death.

The upcoming second-round in the presidential election at the end of the week is as good as dead, destroying the last hope of a relatively peaceful transition of power and at last transforming Zimbabwe into a democracy. It is not meant to be however. Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition candidate, has now fled into the Dutch embassy in Harare for fear of being arrested or worse. (As far as I am concerned he is more than welcome.) The ball is now firmly in the camp of the international community: the UN, African Union/SADC and EU. Mr. Tsvangirai's means have been exhausted and Robert Mugabe has now firmly established his intention to keep a hold on power. Unfortunately there is no ready solution available unless a few individuals make an immediate about-turn.

In an ideal world, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should handle this festering sore in its own, once prosperous and fertile, backyard. Its defacto leader, South African president Thabo Mbeki, would not find it too difficult to reach a consensus on forming a unified block with other SADC members if only he tried a little harder. Several leaders have already spoken out more firmly than in the past but are unable to make a difference on their own. The SADC has to condemn Mugabe's puppet regime and force the resignation of his government through targetted sanctions on him and his government. Boycotting the entire country will do little good and will only put the Zimbabwean population in a more dire situation. The time for a quiet diplomatic solution is passed, Robert Mugabe's not going anywhere, and the SADC has to face up to its responsibilities.

The United Nations have now voiced a "strongly worded" declaration stating their condemnation of the situation in Zimbabwe. Expect little else however. The UN is still painfully inadequate when it comes to good governance control and few people in Mugabe's entourage will worry about a strongly worded statement coming from an office on the other side of the globe. Ideally (in a perfect world...), the UN should be allowed to send election monitors and observers to Zim, either through the AU or SADC, but the time for that has passed. Now it's only focus should be on the human rights situation in Zim: ensuring food supplies reach the people and are not intercepted by Mugabe and fighting (yes, fighting) for reporters to be allowed to return to the country in relative safety.

And finally, the EU. However anything the EU says or intends to do on the issue of Zimbabwe will be used by Robert Mugabe as evidence that we are still "out to get" the former British colony. Quiet support of UN resolutions seems to be the only productive course for Europe.

The diplomat in me is eager for a peaceful transition of power and to do whatever it takes to remove Robert Mugabe as president. However the militant in me is wondering why the hell we did not simply arrest the bastard when he was in Rome?

Oh, and Mr. Mbeki, one more thing: I think I heard your father turn over in his grave.