Communities living around protected areas are increasing and as a result so is the pressure on precious natural resources. High levels of poverty means a reliance on firewood for fuel, subsistence poaching of wild animals is still common, and larger illegal wildlife trade syndicates dealing in products like ivory are recruiting commercial poachers from vulnerable communities. What’s more, with minimal buffer zones, people and wildlife are living in closer proximity, which ultimately results in conflict. Not surprisingly, elephants destroying crops or lions killing livestock doesn’t help to foster support for wildlife conservation.
