‘We know the tactics they use’: The poachers turned gamekeepers of Kenya
Al Jazeera
An anti-poaching unit in Kenya’s Aberdare National Park employs former poachers to curb wildlife crime.
Aberdare National Park, Kenya – Beneath the dense canopy of redwood trees, a uniformed group flanked by armed men treads silently through the thicket, dodging the overgrown stinging nettles that spill over the narrow trail with impressive skill.
“Stop!” whispers Wilson Gioko, the team leader, as he points to a mound of fresh dung. The other men freeze in their tracks and look around, carefully observing their surroundings.
A loud trumpeting sound coming from deep within the forest confirms Gioko’s suspicions: there is a herd of wild elephants nearby. “We must not disturb them,” he says, guiding the group in the other direction.
For the Aberdare Joint Surveillance Unit (AJSU), every day on a patrol mission involves encounters like this. From dawn until dusk, this group patrols the forests of Kenya’s Aberdare National Park, in central Kenya, looking for evidence of poaching and illegal logging.
The park covers an area of 767 square kilometres (296 square miles) and includes a range of landscapes – mountains, moorlands and rainforests. The black rhino and mountain bongo are the most endangered species here, but antelope and buffalo are just as popular with poachers looking for bushmeat to sell.
