Nature’s Call – Poaching is real

When you think of poaching you often think of rhinos and elephants that are being shot at an alarming rate just for their ivory.

Every now and then we hear of a large consignment of reptiles or birds at one or other airport that have been seized. These animals were destined for the pet trade in another far off country. But stories like this are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the actual problems and vastness of poaching and the illegal pet trade.

Thus far, in my years of looking for and photographing little creatures, I have had many people approach me from all over the world wanting me to send them various small creatures. I have had many American’s wanting me to export spiny-flower mantises to America because they are sought after in their pet trade. Once I had someone from another country wanting me to send him whip spiders from Durban as they are also sought after as pets. I told him outright ‘no’ it’s illegal. He said not to worry about getting caught, if I do it as he says all will be fine.

I even had a women contact me from Cape Town. She wanted me to post her some of our beautiful picasso bugs that she wanted to use in her jewellery design. I also cannot count the amount of times that people have asked me to find a chameleon, because they want to keep it as a pet. There are also several snake catchers in the Durban area that I refuse to work with or recommend as their ethics leave a lot to be desired. Some snake catchers, if they were to capture a green mamba, the snake will never see nature again as these reptiles are highly sought after in the pet trade and fetch a high price in the overseas market. The thing that astounds me even more is that some well-known and well respected herpetologists condone this kind of thing as long as it is not done in excess.

I do not make much money from what I do, however, I refuse to sell any indigenous creature for profit (I won’t even give them to anyone), not because it is illegal, but because it is unethical. I often take interested photographers and school groups to the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve so that they can see and photograph the amazing little creatures. On a few occasions I have shown the wrong people who have come back and take those small creatures out of their natural habitat.

But on a more positive note, I have shown many hundreds of people from all over the world some of the most fascinating little creatures within the reserve and it never gets tiring to see someone’s face the first time that they lay eyes on a spiny-flower mantis or some other amazing little creature. This to me is far more valuable than selling that same little creature off into the pet trade for a temporary profit.

We are blessed in South Africa to have some of the most diverse and amazing fauna and flora on the planet and it needs to be protected at all cost for everyone to enjoy in the future. If you would like to make contact with Warren to have some of your interesting insects, snakes or spiders identified, send him a WhatsApp or call him on 072-211-0353.

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