“Bush Meat” Hunting Causes Damage To Animal Populations
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The half million refugees living in Tanzania have, in the search for additional food sources, caused catastrophic damage to the wildlife populations of chimpanzees, buffaloes, and zebras.
A report from the wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC finds that “bush meat” hunting by hungry East African refugees is decimating populations of chimpanzees, buffaloes, and zebras in Tanzania.
Over one-half million refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have settled in camps within Tanzania, decimating populations of wild animals in a desperate search for food sources.
TRAFFIC recommends that relief agencies and the Tanzanian government provide additional protein supplies to refugees to curtail their need to hunt wildlife for food.
Citations:
Roddy Scheer, TRAFFIC, 2007 International
