Giraffe carcass (Credit: The Disillusioned One)
A giraffe was killed in one of the Wildlife Management Areas near Ruaha National Park about a week ago. It was shot by a poacher, and the carcass butchered. We heard the news when on a field trip this Friday to some of the villages where we’ll be screening an educational film on rabies on the 28th of September.
At lunch at Tungamalenga Camp, news of the giraffe kill raised eyebrows, but news of the sale of giraffe meat provoked quite a reaction. Apparently, MBOMIPA, the community wildlife management organization, is mandated to sell meat resulting from a poached kill. If we had wanted, we could have walked over to the Tungamalenga MBOMIPA office, and purchased some nyama twiga (giraffe meat) right there. Remarkable! I almost wish we had. I am now curious about the taste of twiga.
The obvious problem is that by mandating the sale of giraffe meat to MBOMIPA you create demand through a sanctioned supplier. There is a strong local market for bush meat. This demand is enhanced by a limited supply thanks to conservation and poaching laws. But in mandating the sale of the meat, do you not create a conflict of interest in MBOMIPA’s operations? Bush meat is a quick money making enterprise. Shooting a giraffe is pretty easy. They’re tall, slow, easily spotted, and easily slaughtered (see video below for proof). Why not kill a giraffe, declare it an un-witnessed poacher kill, then call up your boys for the butchery, and make some quick cash with a full stomach? Seems like a no-brainer.
Credit: Mr.Chris23
3 responses so far ↓
andrew wolking // September 8, 2008 at 2:56 pm |
gross
wolking // September 9, 2008 at 5:52 am |
Hey, don’t knock the bush meat trade too much. It’s a natural thing, like deer in Michigan. Imagine telling Nugent he couldn’t eat venison because all dear live in protected areas. Or Alaskans that they couldn’t eat whale. Or the Cofan that wild pig were a no-no. It’s tricky forcing change on a cultural palette. Trickier still when you factor in hunger….
Andrew Wolking // September 9, 2008 at 5:10 pm |
I don’t doubt that at all, it is interesting to put into perspective like that. I was “grossing” at the picture itself. Seeing any animal devoured like that is quite a site. Why then is bush meat highly criticized and have such a negative connotation to it? Is it because the animals are protected and some endangered? Not as plentiful as deer etc? That seems logical but is there anything else? When does Misty mate arrive? Putting her to work?