2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

84 |FORBESAFRICAAPRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM

I

T WASWHILESTANDINGKNEE-DEEPINWATERAND

holdinga spintackletohaulaggressiveJackFishinSetteCama,

a villageinGabonandoneofthelongeststretchesofuntouched

coastlineintheAfricancountry,thatI metGuillaumeDuboscq.This

unassumingFrenchman’sexpertiseinanti-poachingeffortsinoverseven

nationalparksspanningsixcountriesinthepast 14 yearsfascinatedmeand

mademerealizethathisstoryneededtobetold.So,onenightina rickety

ParcsGabonbungalowthatbyhappenstanceweshared,I openeda bottleof

wineandsatdownforaninterviewwithhimforFORBESAFRICAthatran

late intothenight.

Duboscqbelievesthateffectivelawenforcementis themostcriticaland

GuillaumeDuboscq,a Frenchanti-poaching

expertinAfrica,speakstoourtravelwriter

in avillagedeepinGabon,onthemanyrisks

rangersface,suchasanimalattacks,

terroristsandpoacher-shootings,andhow

theyareremuneratedpoorlyforthese

perilousmissionssavingthewild.

BY RAMDASIYER

THE DANGEROUS

BUSINESS OF

ANTI-POACHING

foundational component of the long-term sustainability of any park.

Terrorists and poachers have a big stake in the nearly $10 billion in

global wildlife trade. The security of the parks is a prerequisite for

poverty alleviation, economic development, and for providing safety

for wildlife and their habitats.

Little did I realize that in many of the 50-plus national parks

spanning the continent, professional anti-poaching brigades are

managed by NGOs with multinational staff. Their fight for wildlife

welfare includes both paramilitary and scientific techniques; guards

with machine guns, sniffer dogs, GPS-mapping, global information-

sharing, community empowerment and fund-raising. Duboscq

shared more about his experiences as a wildlife ranger:

Q. What motivated you to come to Africa at the age of 21 and

where did you first arrive?

A. After attending high school in a small town near Bayonne in the

southern tip of France, I went to a private school to learn wildlife

management techniques. I always dreamed of being involved with

wildlife in Africa. My father arranged through his friend for me to

work in Senegal in 2003.

Q. Senegal is not known for its wildlife. What transpired?

A. I was fortunate to work for Haider El Ali, who is one of Africa’s

best-known environmentalists. Approximately 133,000 acres

of mangroves disappeared in Senegal between 1980 and 2005,

according to a study by FAO. To help fight against mangrove

degradation, Ali, through the NGO Oceanium, organized massive