Associate Professor Stig Jensen to debate how we can protect African animals
Associate professor Stig Jensen will be participating in a panel discussion on how to overcome the problem with poaching in Africa. The event will take place at Copenhagen Zoo, on the 27th of November from 7-9 pm. Stig Jensen will discuss, together with Henrik Herold and Bengt Holst, how to tackle the problem of poaching of rhinos and elephants in Africa, and how to protect not just the animals, but also the poor people that live in areas where poachers are present. The debate is in Danish, and is free, but tickets are required.
How do we protect African animals from poaching? How do we protect the poor people in the poaching areas from the wars that are waged between animal guards and poachers? Rhino horn is more expensive than cocaine on the global market, and in some areas of Africa, we see a war unfold between guards and poachers - with the poor people residing in these area becoming victims as a result. At the same time we see a sharp decline in the elephant population in Africa, partly as a result of poaching, from 12 million to 400.000 elephants in Africa in 100 years. Join the exciting panel discussion on these complex issues, hosted by Copenhagen Zoo, Globalnyt and Randers Rainforest. The panel will discuss whether or not we can stop poaching by "farming" rhino horn, whether or not it is African countries who can make decisions concerning their animal population, or if the international trading community hold all the power, and much more. The three experts all have opposing and contrasting opinions on these issues, and the debate will therefore give an insight into the difficult dilemmas and questions that are raised when tackling the poaching problem in Africa. The three panel participants are:
Henrik Herold, creator and director of Randers Rainforest: "Hunting is the most effective way to create value in the poorest areas"
Bengt Holst, science director at Copenhagen Zoo: "African animals are a ressource, that can be utilized like other ressources, as long as it is sustainable"
Stig Jensen, associate professor at Centre of African Studies: "Legal trade of rhino horn can remove the foundation of criminal networks"
The event is free, but still requires a ticket, and it will be held in Danish.
You can read more about the event, and get your ticket here