In the dangerous war against poaching animals and natural resources in Africa, Israeli expertise is tipping the scales in favor of the good guys. On one side are the bad guys: poachers who slaughter elephants for their ivory, capture African Grey parrots and other prized animals, and strip forests bare. On the other side are the good guys: park rangers who risk their lives to protect Africa’s endangered animals and natural resources.
Hoping to tip the scales are people like Nir Kalron, a 36-year-old Israeli working to strengthen the continent’s environmental security. In vast expanses of misty jungle and arid savannah, Kalron’s Maisha Consulting conducts anti-poaching and anti-trafficking intelligence and investigations, installs security technology, and trains rangers to clamp down on criminal activity more effectively. In cooperation with African governments and NGOs such as the Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund, Maisha’s seven-person team teaches the rangers intelligence analysis and data management; operational discipline; weapons and tactics; aviation; first aid; dog handling; sea rescue; Krav Maga hand-to-hand combat; arresting suspects and stopping vehicles.
Working for illicit traffickers, African poachers slaughter at least 35,000 African elephants each year. They kill rhinos for their horns; tigers, leopards and pangolins for their skin; and trap exotic parrots and great apes to be smuggled to buyers. Poachers also engage in illegal logging, decimating natural habitats and literally clearing a path for poachers.
Though Maisha is the only private Israeli company devoted to environmental security, over the years Israeli involvement in anti-poaching initiatives has included, for example, a wildlife forensics lab set up in Kenya by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) to analyze evidence for court cases against poachers; and a donation of high-frequency radios to rangers in Senegal National Parks by Motorola in Tel Aviv. (via Israel21c)