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Wildlife Management

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Wildlife is known to be the brand and symbol to Africa, and Africa is home to some of the most endangered species in the world. These animals include mountain gorilla, Grevy’s zebra, Ethiopian wolf, Pangolin, Black rhino, and White rhino. “There are more than 1100 national parks and related reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, of which 36 are designated World Heritage Sites (WCMC 2004).” However, the survival or death of these animals are largely attributed to the behaviors of humans. When I visited Tanzania and Kenya, the Maasai tour guide informed us that humans had been poaching wildlife for many unnecessary reasons. They brutally remove the ivory of elephants for decoration purposes; there had been international smuggling of animals that originated in Africa. Rhino horns are being carved out for medical purposes while the skins of African Ostriches are being made into fur coats. In addition, Africa as a whole loses more than 30,000 elephants and Lions are half of the population they were in the 1970s. Despite governments in Africa are actively making improvements, the issues for wildlife management in Africa are still urgent. One of the most well known wildlife management organizations is called African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). They “equip wildlife rangers, deploy sniffer dogs, and train law enforcement officers to stop wildlife crime,” “enable wildlife conservation-friendly community empowerment'' and “build conservation partnerships and spread awareness across the continent — and the world.” These things are crucial in protecting the vulnerable wildlife wandering in Africa. 

During the summer, my family and I witnessed the wildebeests crossing river. It was extremely difficult for them as they ought to face the danger of getting eaten by crocodiles in the river. 

This is a picture of a cheetah passing by our car. The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.

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It's estimated that the aggressive animal with sharp teeth kills 500 people a year in Africa. Hippos can crush a human to death with their weight ranging anywhere from 3,000 to 9,000 pounds

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This is a picture of two rhinos. Rhinos are one the rarest animals to see in Africa as they are listed endangered for a several years now. 

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This is a picture of three lions taking a nap on the grassland. Lions are the only cats that live in groups.

Footnote: 

(1) Thompson, Katrina Daly. "Keeping It Real: Reality and Representation in Maasai 
     Hip-Hop." Journal of African Cultural Studies 20, no. 1 (2008): 33-44. 
     http://www.jstor.org/stable/25473396. 

(2) Breeds of Livestock - Masai Cattle. http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/masai/ 
     index.html/. 

(3) Breeds of Livestock - Masai Cattle. http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/masai/ 
     index.html/. 

(4) National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/ 
     cattle-economy-maasai/3rd-grade/ 
     #:~:text=The%20Maasai%20people%20live%20in,Maasai%20women%20milk%20the%20cows.&te 
     xt=They%20keep%20lions%2C%20cheetahs%2C%20and%20leopards%20away%20from%20the%20he 
     rd. 

(5) Quinlan, Robert J., Isaya Rumas, Godfrey Naisikye, Marsha B. Quinlan, and Jonathan Yoder. "Searching for Symbolic Value of Cattle: Tropical Livestock Units, Market Price, and Cultural Value of Maasai Livestock." Ethnobiology Letters 7, no. 1 (2016): 76-86. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26423652.

(6) Quinlan, Robert J., Isaya Rumas, Godfrey Naisikye, Marsha B. Quinlan, and Jonathan Yoder. "Searching for Symbolic Value of Cattle: Tropical Livestock Units, Market Price, and Cultural Value of Maasai Livestock." Ethnobiology Letters 7, no. 1 (2016): 76-86. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26423652.

(7) Huang, Nellie. "Cultural Fabric: The Maasai's Shuka." G Adventures. 
     https://www.gadventures.com/blog/story-behind-maasais-shuka-cloth/ 
     #:~:text=Often%20red%20with%20black%20stripes,Maasai%20people%20of%20East%20Afric 
     a.&text=It's%20known%20to%20be%20durable,are%20from%20the%20Samburu%20Tribe. 

(8) McDANNALD, DAVID. "Letter from MAASAILAND: Seeds of Change." The American Scholar 83, no. 2 (2014): 6-9. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43871154.

(9) McDANNALD, DAVID. "Letter from MAASAILAND: Seeds of Change." The American Scholar 83, no. 2 (2014): 6-9. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43871154.

(10) Colors in Culture – The Colors of the Kenyan Maasai (blog). Entry posted June 
     14, 2018. https://dreamsfauxfilled.com/ 
     colors-in-culture-the-colors-of-the-kenyan-maasai/ 
     #:~:text=RED%20is%20the%20most%20important,especially%20in%20times%20of%20famine. 

(11)IBID

(12)IBID

(13) IBID

(14) IBID

(15) Wijngaarden, Vanessa. "Cosmopolitan Savages: The Challenging Art of Selling 
     African Culture to Tourists." Etnofoor 22, no. 2 (2010): 98-125. 
     http://www.jstor.org/stable/25758189. 

(16) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvOOR6syTCE&ab_channel=SankaraSubramanian

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