Cordovan ecologist Ana Benítez has dedicated years to examining how human activity endangers wildlife and the risks that could push species toward extinction. Illegal wildlife hunting remains a grave threat faced by protected areas worldwide. In recent times, three journalists, including Spaniards David Beriáin and Roberto Fraile, lost their lives near a natural reserve in Burkina Faso while reporting on this perilous issue.
Ana Benítez (Cordoba, 1981) is a researcher in the Integrative Ecology Department at the Doñana Biological Station. Her work centers on understanding how hunting affects wildlife across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The research aims to map what drives species to shift their distributions, what anthropogenic pressures influence populations, and how these forces may drive local extinctions. This interview summarizes her perspectives for Agencia Sinc.
– Why does illegal hunting remain the largest threat to wildlife?
Poaching is a multibillion-dollar market, with annual revenues estimated between 7 and 23 billion dollars. It parallels the scale of illicit drug and weapons trafficking. Its value is driven by demand for certain products, such as rhino horn, believed to have medicinal or social status benefits. Other species are sought as exotic pets or for collection, including many reptiles, parrots, parakeets, and singing birds that are highly valued in regions like Southeast Asia and parts of Africa.
– An illegal business that inflames conflict and costs lives…
Recent years have seen hundreds of guards lose their lives across Africa in the effort to curb poaching. Virunga National Park, one of Africa’s oldest reserves, houses a population of about 600 mountain gorillas and has seen significant violence tied to illegal hunting activities.
Rhinos are a prominent emblem of this crisis, often shown in imagery where horns are removed to indicate poaching pressure. The sector has grown dangerous not just for wildlife professionals but for communities living near protected areas, highlighting the need for robust enforcement and protection for those who monitor and defend these ecosystems.
– How is the fight organized?
The principal instrument is CITES, the treaty system that regulates international trade in living organisms. When a species faces heavy poaching pressure or population declines, it may be listed in Appendix I, prohibiting commercial trade. A notable example from 2016 involved considering the pangolins for stronger protection by moving several species to higher protection lists. Locally, protected areas conduct regular patrols to deter poachers, and checkpoints at major transit points help screen shipments of potentially trafficked wildlife products.
– What are the biodiversity consequences?
Illegal hunting can lead to widespread depopulation and even extinction of species, especially those with slow reproduction. The loss of these species disrupts essential ecological functions such as seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and pest control. Elephants, for instance, help shape forest structure by creating new habitats that support other organisms and facilitate nutrient movement, a process known as ecosystem engineering. When such keystone species disappear, ecosystems lose resilience and productivity.
– Which species are most at risk?
Rhinos and pangolins stand out as highly vulnerable. In places like Vietnam, rhino horn demand has linked prices to levels rivaling precious metals, powering illegal harvesting. South Africa, for example, saw dramatic surges in rhino poaching rates during a period when illicit markets flourished. Pangolins, whose scales are sought for traditional medicines in parts of Asia, have become the most trafficked mammals globally. This demand is driving illegal exports from several African nations toward Southeast Asia, expanding pressure on pangolin populations and threatening their survival.
– What other patterns connect beliefs and demand?
Beyond rhinos and pangolins, various species face intense poaching pressure due to myths about healing properties, status symbols, or novelty value. The consequences extend to ecosystems and human health, with concerns about how wildlife trade can foster zoonotic diseases, as seen in cases linked to illnesses like MERS, SARS, or COVID-19. The broader implication is a reminder that wildlife crime touches both biodiversity and public health.
Environment department contact details have been removed in this version to maintain focus on the informational content and to respect privacy concerns. The material emphasizes the ongoing need for vigilant conservation efforts and stronger policy responses to illegal hunting.