ROAN PATROL - Kicking Ass & Saving Game

Few realize in the west that the biggest threat to African wildlife is Poaching..not hunting. Sport hunters not only care about the variety of species but also infuse more money than any photo safari attendee could. Anti-Poaching units are necessary and vital to the well being of animals.

One of the prerequisites for being granted a community property to hunt in Mozambique entails putting in place a proper Anti-Poaching unit. We created the Roan Patrol. A small but growing group of local scouts, bushmen and former poachers. Their job is to track and arrest poachers, destroy traps and weapons and assist in educating the locals about the importance of the natural resource. One can hardly fault someone killing game to feed their family, or killing a leopard for fear that it might kill a child. But when that game is a female or holding babies we have an issue. Our goal through the Roan Patrol is to educate the locals how they can exist with the animals and benefit from the high price westerners are willing to pay for trophy hunts. It's a win-win situation and one that deserves more attention. "Greenies" would have you believe otherwise. But then, they don't live with dangerous game in their backyards.

Just last week the Roan Patrol caught three poachers with rudimentary muzzle loaders. These men were delivered to the local authority for proper penalty. It would not be far fetched that one of these fella's might be a member of Roan Patrol in the future. They just need other means of attaining wealth and food.