People near Mozambique park poach to survive

Описание: (18 Dec 2016) Communities surrounding Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park have taken to poaching wildlife in order to survive.
Drought, a poor economy and the resurgence of old conflicts have created a toxic mix that has led to an increase in poverty and people facing starvation in the area.
Growing resentment is also simmering between the ruling Frelimo party and the opposition Renamo, or Mozambican National Resistance, who fought a brutal civil war that ended in the early 1990s.
Observers say the re-emergence of the conflict in recent years is primarily driven by poverty and a perception by Renamo that the country's resources are not being fairly distributed by the Frelimo
government.
The Gorongosa area is one of the poorest in Mozambique and poaching of the national park's animals is a constant threat.
Some of the park's employees are affiliated to Renamo, while others are loyal to the ruling Frelimo party.
But they put politics aside in order to concentrate on protecting the conservation of the area.
The park has around 70 lions living in its unfenced system. Paola Bouley, director of the park's lion project, monitors the collared lions via satellite tracking.
The lions often fall prey to gin traps and wire snares meant for other animals, such as warthogs and waterbuck.

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