FOLLOWING GUNS TO SAVE SPECIES
A recent four-year investigation by CAP uncovered evidence demonstrating how an international gunrunning network with links to terrorists funneled thousands of rifles from Europe and the U.S. to rhino poaching kingpins in Southern Africa. These illegal guns touched off a poaching crisis that, if not halted, could lead to the extinction of southern rhinos over the next decade.
CAP remains at the forefront of advocating “Follow-The-Guns” forensic techniques to prevent and prosecute wildlife crime. While much national and international attention has been directed at the financial, transport, and online sectors linked to the illegal wildlife trade, far too little has been done to address the proliferation, trafficking, and diversion of guns to wildlife crime syndicates.
THE HARM
Rhinos Nearing Extinction With Flawed
Anti-Poaching Strategies.
Known as the "Last Dinosaurs," rhinos are nearing extinction due to relentless poaching. Kruger National Park in South Africa, home to the largest rhino population, is a prime target, and rhinos have already been wiped out in other African regions highlighting the urgency of the crisis spurred by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). Profiting from the illegal rhino horn trade, these TCOs foment corruption while weaving a black market web of arms, drugs, and human trafficking. Local communities, caught between inept and corrupt anti-poaching forces and criminal kingpins, continue to suffer injustices.
THE STORY
Since the start of our investigations, CAP has worked with enforcement entities behind the scenes to prevent, disrupt, and halt the illicit gun flows behind most of the rhino poaching in South Africa. However, with corrupt officials preventing the arrests of kingpins, we decided to take our expose public. We co-produced a special documentary with the South African investigative journalism program Carte Blanche and followed up with op-eds, magazine and book articles, a NYT feature story, a Power of One podcast, press briefings, and speaking engagements.
THE CHANGE
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CAP developed allies in the gun industry that put a halt to the manufacturing of the most common U.S. hunting rifle used to poach rhinos in southern Africa;
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Our signature Follow-The-Guns methodology has been embraced by wildlife crime analysts, law enforcement, and counter-poaching operations;
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Overlooked forensic tools such as serial crime and supply chain strategies utilized after after we exposed our findings;
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Gun-related charges and penalties more prominently used in criminal justice processes against wildlife poachers and traffickers;
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Counter poaching and wildlife trafficking operations begin to prioritize law enforcement activities over misguided military approaches, which also reduced the arms race between poachers and anti-poaching forces;
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Counter-poaching programs began to institute just, safe, and equitable approaches towards local communities likewise impacted by poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
CONTINUING THE WORK
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Conducting Investigations: Poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and wildlife crime remain our primary targets.
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Advocating Holistic Approaches: Fostering conservation initiatives that focus on local community involvement to ensure more sustainable anti-poaching strategies.
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Championing Underutilized Crime Solving Approaches: Pressing for more widespread usage of our trademark Follow-the-Guns methodology and serial crime, supply chain, and counter-kingpin strategies to reduce poaching and wildlife crime.
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Pressing for Transparency: Urging the sharing of wildlife crime gun data to strengthen expert analysis and crime prevention activities.
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Strengthening Arms Control Regimes: Advocating for closing loopholes in arms control regimes that previously benefitted wildlife crime networks.
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Fostering Multi-jurisdictional Cooperation: Taking action to assist law enforcement in different jurisdictions when confronting the same transnational organized crime networks.
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Raising Awareness: Highlighting the devastating impacts of poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and biodiversity loss.
Follow The Guns Co-producer, Sasha Wein, wins 2018 Environmental Award
Follow The Guns was Co-Produced by Kathi Lynn Austin and features her journey exposing the gunrunners behind the mass slaughter of South Africa's rhinos. For her work on the story, Sasha Wein was awarded the Video Media Award at the 2018 SAB Environmental Media Awards held in Johannesburg on October 23, 2018. Follow The Guns first aired on Africa's premiere current affairs show, Carte Blanche, in June 2018. CAP congratulates Sasha and thanks the entire Carte Blanche team for their passionate effort to help publicly expose hard truths behind South Africa's rhino crisis.
