On Monday 4 November at 22h30 the penultimate episode of the six-part series, Wildlife Warzone, screens on Al Jazeera English.
In South Africa, with unemployment currently at 25%, poaching is big business. Rhino horn is now worth more than gold which means rangers and poachers may live in the same street.
Fuelled by demand in Asia, where rhino horn is believed to have medicinal properties including the ability to cure cancer, poaching is worth $17 billion a year. While international syndicates may be making a fortune off poaching, for some South Africans, it’s the only means of supporting their families in the current economic climate.
In this week’s episode, a lifetime poacher asks: “If my brother finds me poaching, what is he supposed to do? He too must look after his family… we’re both there for the same reason: to make life better for our families.’
After graduating, five of the six new anti-poaching rangers are already at work in the wild where Lunga secures an interview at Shamwari Game Reserve and Lionel learns that poachers are also a threat to big cats on his first patrol. Freddie and Chrisjan discover a poacher’s camp where they explore the drains that provide access to the game reserve, and pull over a suspicious car.
Additional screenings of Wildlife Warzone air on Tuesdays at 09h30, Wednesdays at 03h30 and Thursdays at 16h30.
For more information, visit http://aje.me/GRw7Nh.
Watch previous episodes at:
The full first episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0900-vnVFU
The full second episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH02iQfyBAs
The full third episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7sDgwC30y0
The full fourth episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXlN74MML3M
