Malawi arrest 200 suspects on wildlife crimes

Officials from the Department of Parks and Wildlife are patting themselves on the back for arresting over 200 poachers in 2016, up from 90 in the previous year.

The director of Parks and Wildlife Brighton Kunchedwa therefore described 2016 as a great year in as far as the conservation effort of wildlife was concerned.

“Coupled with the new wildlife laws which put fines of wildlife crimes in the ranges of K2 million to K15 million, we are in the right direction,” said Kunchedwa.

He said there are 90 wildlife cases in the courts, including those of Chinese and Mozambican poachers at Mzuzu magistrates court.

In addition, Kunchedwa said, the department has recruited more guards who are in border posts to check wildlife smugglers and poachers.

This comes at a time when there are concerns of depletion of the population of wild animals in the country, the centre of tourism attraction, due to poachingn among other factors

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