British Soldiers Combat Illegal African Wildlife Trade

British soldiers are assisting efforts to fight against the illegal wildlife trade by training Malawi park rangers to deal with the growing threat posed by poachers.

They are currently working across two sites with rangers in the Nkhotakota and Majete Wildlife Reserves.

Deployments to the two sites began in May.

Participating in patrols to monitor the movements and health of rhinos and elephants, the long-term goal of the soldiers is to ensure the rangers are better skilled and able to respond appropriately to the threat of poaching.

Poaching and the illegal wildlife trade are responsible for the loss of countless species and are driving the decline of many African animals including elephants, rhinos and lions.

The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth £17 billion, while gram for gram, a rhino horn is worth more than gold at up to £50k per kilo.

In the last 50 years the black rhino population has dropped from 70,000 to 5,500 and since the 1980s, Malawi’s elephant population has halved from 4,000 to 2,000 in 2015.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"We can be incredibly proud of the important work our Armed Forces are doing to help protect the magnificent animals of Malawi and to bring about the end of the cruel practice of illegal wildlife trading.

"By passing on their world-class, tried and tested skills, we can be sure that UK troops are aiding a highly skilled and professional network of park rangers, one that can effectively combat the threat poachers pose to the African wildlife."