For decades hundreds of wildlife organizations, driven by individual convictions and goals but with out a consensus for action with other organizations have spared nothing at an individual attempt at addressing the plight of wildlife.
Treatise, statutes and agreements have been signed, but all these give signatories the liberty to implement these agreements according to their national interests and priorities.

Wildlife and habitats are still considered natural resources at the disposal of the priorities of national governments some of which are corrupt, dictatorial and have no regard for international opinion and conventions. This situation has entrusted some of the most endangered species to the most corrupt and dictatorial regimes.

There are neither legally binding nor enforceable international laws that protect wildlife and or eco-systems. There is further no official organ of the United Nations like the ICC (International Criminal Court) or the ICJ (The international Court of Justice) with the mandate to either address or take action against the current indiscriminate massacre of the last remains of in-situ wildlife and destruction of eco-systems.

Issues like the perpetration of the Bush Meat crisis, the pet and souvenir trades, habitat and ecosystem destruction which are greatly fuelled by the activities of mining/logging companies and cruelty/abuse/neglect/exploitation cases arising from the pet/circus/bio-medical industries cannot be prosecuted internationally and yet most National governments luck the means to either monitor or take legal action against the activities of such international companies due to corruption.

Sanctuaries are over flowing with victims and re-introduction although feasible is plagued by the fact that almost all suitable habitats have been punctured by human activity and settlement and thus the release of habituated animals from sanctuaries predisposes an escalation to the already huge problem animal situation.

The success of every conservation program further depends on the holistic approach to eco-system conservation and should involve the local communities as the primary guardians and protectors of wildlife. The simple fact is that no amount of community education (termed propaganda by the locals), threats (policies to prosecute and even to shoot poachers on site) and exclusions (fences and buffer zones) can force these communities to conserve wildlife if it is of no value to them. Another bitter fact is that without their participation all our efforts will continue to be fruitless.

It should also be acknowledged that the political/social structure of these communities demands absolute respect for community norms and laws but gives liberty and individual discression to either up hold or follow policies, regulations and even state laws imposed. This means that the approach to wildlife conservation should include components like community development derived from wildlife, which will make it in the interest of these communities to conserve wildlife.

Without laws a crime cannot be stopped
 

© Rhino Fund International

© Karl Ammann

Finally if we are truly to stop the current massacres of wildlife and habitat destruction, it is imperative that we acknowledge that extinction is a global loss propagated by criminals and thus crimes against Wildlife. Extinction is therefore a global responsibility requiring a working legal frame work (LAWS) against wildlife crimes and an assigned mandate to prosecute these crimes.

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