C.A.R forest guards clash with poachers

In the rebel zone, north of the Central African Republic, these men, forest guards prepare for a fight against armed poachers who are tracking a lost giraffe.

To find the traces of the giraffe, these men had to drive, swim and walk across a depopulated forest whose wildlife has been decimated by years of poaching.

“ In 40 years, we went from about 2,000 to 3,000 giraffes to maybe less than 10 today “ Hilde Vanleeuwe, who is in charge of biodiversity monitoring in the area.

The missions usually end up with cross fire exchanges and human deaths.

“It’s a bullet that hit me during a collision with the Sudanese, he reached me from behind.“Sergeant Simplice, monitor tracker pointing at the scare at the side of his neck.

Local or Sudanese poachers raid the park for food.

To repel them, the eco-guards practice shooting and tactical movement but the task is difficult.

In a region that has no courts or prisons, arrested poachers are systematically released after 2 days in police custody.

@philemonmbale