![Elephants cross the plains of the Boma-Jonglei landscape in South Sudan.[Photo by Paul Elkan and Jeremy Gustafson]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/sudan-wildlife-boma-2-2011-3-2.jpg?resize=937%2C528&ssl=1)
Major General David Deng Adol, director of wildlife services in Jonglei State, attributed the surge in poaching to increased commercial activities.
“Poaching is not a new thing, but the difference now is that it has become commercialized, which is more destructive,” Adol told Sudans Post last week.
He noted that the state lost more than 400 animals in a single week, including white-eared kob and tiang.
“If we continue killing this number of animals, they will all be wiped out,” Adol warned. “The government of South Sudan is taking preventive measures to protect the remaining wildlife.”
However, some locals, like 25-year-old Nhial John Kelei, rely on poaching to support their families. Kelei said that selling a tiang for SSP 300,000 (approximately US$90) can help sustain his family.
“If I go hunting and kill three animals, I can earn SSP 900,000, which can help me support my family, buy bullets, and maintain my motorcycle,” he said.
Kelei urged the government to address the economic crisis to reduce the incentive for poaching.
In June 2024, President Salva Kiir called for stricter measures to combat poaching, including training and equipping wildlife rangers. He also emphasized the importance of bringing poachers to justice.
