[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      EFFORTS TO PREVENT POACHING

                                 ______


                         HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 28, 1996

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, wildlife poaching in Africa has reached 
such proportions that elephant and endangered rhinoceros populations 
have been decimated in several countries. The poaching goes on because 
of the demand for ivory and animal parts used in traditional medicine 
in Asia. At one time, wildlife conservation groups criticized the 
Republic of China on Taiwan for not doing enough to stop this traffic 
into Taiwan. The Government there has long since cracked down with 
strict enforcement and stiff penalties for offenders.
  Now, they have opened a new front in the war on wildlife poaching. 
The Government of the Republic of China on Taiwan has just announced a 
grant to the nonprofit United States-based Wilderness Conservancy to 
purchase a special spotter airplane that will be used in Kruger 
National Park in South Africa, where game rangers will patrol with it 
to locate poachers before they do their dirty work. The airborne 
spotters will radio the location of potential poachers to rangers on 
the ground who will apprehend them. Kruger is one of the world's great 
game reserves and has only recently begun to feel the threat of 
poaching. The Wilderness Conservancy is experienced in assisting 
antipoaching forces throughout Southern Africa, with spotter aircraft 
and a range of supplies and support services for game rangers and their 
families.
  Saving the rhinoceros and elephant from extinction is dangerous, 
round-the-clock work. This generous gift makes possible a unique three-
way cooperative effort between the people of Taiwan, a conservation-
minded American organization and the men and women on the antipoaching 
front lines in South Africa.

                          ____________________