6 Poachers Arrested after sneaking into Private Game Reserve

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-6-arrested-following-poaching-incident-at-thula-thula-private-game-reserve/

It's astounding to me the lengths poachers will go to to slaughter elephants, rhinos, and other endangered animals. Poachers cut through the security fence of a game reserve in Ntambana, South Africa hunting the elephants that roamed the area, likely looking for tusks. The anti-poaching unit that patrols the area luckily heard gunshots and after a mild shootout, were able to apprehend 6 of the poachers. This positive news comes after an anti poaching officer was shot and killed protecting a rhino in a separate incident in South Africa. 

Poaching is a serious problem in Africa and anti poaching officers are regularly put at risk defending endangered animals. Poachers will go to great lengths to slaughter these animals because their parts are still sold on the black markets for large sums of money. Elephant tusks, rhino horns, big cat pelts, these things fetch large amounts of money and poachers will ultimately risk their own lives as well as the lives of the officers protecting them in order to attain what they're after.

If you guys remember my latest video, youtu.be/CVB-T6ak7WY I spoke about Kenya enacting a death penalty for convicted poachers and whether I thought that was acceptable or not. When you look at how aggressive these poachers are and how little regard they have for human or animal lives, it certainly makes a case for the death penalty. 

I will never say the death penalty is appropriate but when we consider how dangerous poaching is, does it warrant capital punishment? When these people are destroying property, shooting and potentially killing officers, and hunting endangered animals for their own profits, they obviously deserve the ultimate punishment. I just struggle with the idea of capital punishment versus life imprisonment. It's a hard call in my opinion.

Whatever the case, poaching is a serious problem and I commend the anti-poaching officers for all of their hard work in protecting these beautiful and endangered species. 

What do you guys think? Is the death penalty appropriate? Should other communities in Africa enact similar laws to put an end to poaching?

HAPPY VEG