Africa's People - Wildlife Crises

Why is there such an urgency to save Africa?
And why Elefence urgently needs your help.

 

This African woman is carrying 75 pounds of firewood on her back. She has entered a forest reserve illegally. As more and more trees are chopped down in wildlife and forest reserves. The entire ecosystem that sustains both people and wildlife is destroyed. Everybody loses!

Half the population of Africa -- some 350 million people - lives on less than a $1.00 a day." (Africa Geographic)

This poverty has lead to runaway deforestation, desertification, overgrazing of livestock, shrinking watersheds, and rampant poaching of wildlife.

Africa's population is growing by 3% a year - enough to double the continent's human numbers of 700 million to over 1.4 billion by the year 2017 (Natural History magazine)

How can wildlife survive this increased human pressure? This accelerating human pressure on Africa's ecosystems is causing rampant human-wildlife conflict all over the continent, competing for the same food and waterresources 

Elephants are tearing down fences to get inside the gardens. Fast expanding human populations are now entering former wildlife habitats. Farms are blocking the way of ancient migratory corridors of elephants. The herd are attracted to the vegetables and fruits. This often leads to dangerous human-wildlife conflict - one of Africa's fastest growing problems.
Only 12% of the African continent is arable for farming. Poor management of ever-shrinking woodlands, soil erosion, and water resources has weakened agriculture even more.

Africa's demand for protein has created the frightening, rampant illegal bush meat trade. Drag net fishing, and river/lake over-fishing methods are fast depleting Africa's alternative protein sources.

Africa's Dilemma: Charcoal production. It takes 37 trees just to make one bag of charcoal! Charcoal is used mainly for cooking fuel as Africans fry most of their food in cooking oil.

Elephants are tearing down fences to get inside the gardens. Fast expanding human populations are now entering former wildlife habitats. Farms are blocking the way of ancient migratory corridors of elephants. The herd are attracted to the vegetables and fruits. This often leads to dangerous human-wildlife conflict - one of Africa's fastest growing problems.

The bush meat trade is now threatening to drive most of Africa's wild mammal species into extinction within the next few decades.

This trade is fueled by outside exploitation from logging corporations based in the Orient and Europe. (rainforestweb.org)

In the Congo basin alone, more than a million metric tons of bush meat (an amount equal to four million cattle) are being brought out of the shrinking forests each year…" (Wildlife Conservation Society)

In parts of the eastern Central African Republic, once known as the Serengeti of Central Africa, populations of elephants, crocodiles, and lions have been reduced by as much as 95 percent; rhinoceroses have become extinct." (National Geographic Adventure magazine)

The speed of Africa's rainforest destruction is shocking:"Between 1980 and 1995, Africa lost more than 10 percent of its forests" (rainforestweb.org) The destruction is now accelerating 15% faster! Close to one third of Africa's population now lives in squalid squatter settlements and slums in appalling conditions - no clean water, or sanitation facilities, no electricity, and lacking access to medical care, family planning services, education, and jobs." (Natural History magazine)


The cutting down of Africa's woodlands and rain forests is causing massive erosion of precious top soils. During the rainy season, topsoil is washed away into rivers, creating further problems with the water resources.

That's the bad news.

The GOOD NEWS is that all the above problems are fixable. And Elefence is doing something about it!

It's obvious from the facts above that projects to help Africa cannot be launched ten years from now.

This is why Elefence is implementing its education problem-solving projects today - and launching its academic partnership projects in Africa now.

Elefence believes this is the last generation that will be able to rescue Africa from the grip of poverty - and to help safeguard Africa's fragile ecosystems, biodiversity, and wildlife while there is still time.

Make no mistake about it….This is the last chance to save Africa's wondrous wildlife. Africa's clock is ticking.

Please join us on our exciting journey…
and become part of the Elefence Team!
Find out more and how you can help!

This Congo market reveals that the ivory trade is still alive and well in various African countries. Amazingly, even with all the worldwide awareness programs of "Don't buy Ivory"... some wealthy tourists continue "to support" elephant poaching by purchasing ivory.