I hate guns. Those closest to me, who know my history, they know why I feel like this. I've seen stuff. Because of that I'm very reluctant to listen to opinions of those who haven't because there is a brutality at a human level that unless you've witnessed it you can never really understand.
The increased militarization in conservation, particularly anti-poaching, is a hot topic right now. If you follow these things you'll know about the situation in Kaziranga (India) where basically poachers are shot on site. In Africa there is continual conflict between armed poachers and armed anti-poaching teams, it's a akin to war and arms dealers are benefiting. There is a new crew of private armies entering the fray, usually people with no conservation background but are trained killers who are often ex-military. I'm in frequent contact with people monitoring this situation and it won't be long before some are called out. If guns are in the wrong hands these people need to be called out. The BBC have just done that re the Kaziranga situation.
There's this perception that anti-poaching is sexy, the whole camo macho bullshit view from people who have never actually been on the ground. Having worked alongside military in several places regarding both anti-poaching and human-wildlife conflict I can tell you there is nothing sexy about it.
Here in Nepal the army keep a close eye on the tiger landscapes so the great cats, like the one who made the pug mark in the image, can stay safe. I don't want to go into the dynamics of that situation right now but it is a case where I feel guns are in the right hands. It's not perfect but it is effective. Everyone close to it knows there can be improvement and right now part of my script is helping with technological advances for both military and community anti-poaching units.
However there's no doubt that in many places there are guns in the wrong hands. A cowboy element has entered anti-poaching and self proclaimed "eco-warriors" who are in it for grandeur and money are in fact making the situation worse as communities are further disenfranchised. Funds that should be going into combating the real problem which is high level traffickers as well as issues like poverty alleviation are getting sucked up by these opportunists.
These are guns in the wrong hands. These people will be called out as more information comes to hand. Watch this space...
UPDATE: Just another quick note on this (This post is also at Facebook). As is often the case I'm getting a few messages regarding the post from people who prefer to talk about these things privately. My apologies for not being able to get back to everyone straight away, I'm pretty busy right now, I will get there. The bottom line is many communities are feeling disenfranchised and cut off by conservation policy, the tourism sector and the outside public. There is this strong feeling that the true guardians of the forest are not being heard. The people who are truly "Living with Leopards" are the key to the future of many species and habitat in general. If they are not heard and resourced then this whole thing will end badly. There is no room for elitism, it's time for eyes to be open to see the real issues ... and at the end of the day, actions speak louder than words...
