VIDEO: Sharpening the axe of law enforcement in Africa

I wanted to share this video with you from the International Fund for Animal Welfare's prevention of wildlife trade training in Botswana. It was an amazing experience to be in the room with enforcement experts from IFAW, INTERPOL, Botswana Police College, South Africa, Environment Canada, and officers from 11 countries across Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland) who put their lives on the line to protect animals from poaching and illegal trade.

Sharpening The Axe from IFAW - Int. Fund for Animal Welf on Vimeo.

It's critical that IFAW works at the national, regional  and international level to advocate for laws protecting wildlife from commercial and illegal trade, but in the end, adequate enforcement and compliance is key. Wildlife crime is being committed by organized networks of serious criminals. We on the enforcement side have to meet that threat with equally motivated trained and organized officers on the front line.

We can all do our part by rejecting products made from endangered wildlife and urging policymakers to protect wildlife from illegal trade. If you haven't already, please sign IFAW's petition against the slaughtering of elephants for ivory at www.ifaw.org/elephantmarch.