South Sudan's Precarious Profusion of Wildlife
Of all the differing states spread across the broad and burning face of North Africa, the newly independent Republic of South Sudan is perhaps most emblematic of the region’s manifold divisions. Born just two years ago as the result of a fragile peace ending a long and costly war between the Arab Muslim government of Khartoum and the Christian and animist black population of the south, the new nation faces enormous obstacles on the road to becoming a self-reliant state. Along with their newfound liberty, however, the people of South Sudan have much else to console them through the challenges that lay ahead, prominently including one of the most cohesive and compelling wildlife populations left on the entire continent. Given the tremendous political flux that it is only natural to expect such a young republic to experience, it is of central importance that the people of South Sudan have immediate access to the expertise, funding, and support of Western organizations to protect and promote their natural heritage.
War is hell, for wildlife as well as people. The breakdown of civic law and societal norms during such savage fighting as has been experienced by South Sudan routinely leads to the widespread destruction of native wildlife. Destitute refugees and ill-paid soldiers helped themselves to local wildlife in the form of bush meat, while the corruption that is heightened in times of war allowed for the brazen poaching of ivory: over 125,000 elephants are estimated to have been slaughtered during the conflict.
But while the wildlife of South Sudan has assuredly suffered terrible losses, initial surveys of the newly liberated country’s biota have revealed an astounding resilience in the face of manmade calamity, with core populations of many species in good health. Bandingilo National Park hosts the second-largest mammalian migration (at 1.3 million antelope) in the world after that of the Serengeti, while Boma and Southern National Parks, as well as the mighty Sudd wetlands system formed by the White Nile, provide habitat for large populations of hartebeest, kob, topi, Cape buffalo, elephants, giraffes, African wild dogs, and lions. Unlike its unloved neighbor to the north, South Sudan boasts of immense forested tracts that are home to bongo, giant forest hogs, red river hogs, forest elephants, and chimpanzees. The little known white-eared kob and Nile lechwe are unique to South Sudan. The new country’s intact habitat is a vast oasis in an environment cruelly sterilized by war and poverty - unique in its variability and sheer biological strength, its remarkable survival offers hope to all of Africa.
At the request of the new government, AWF is actively assisting South Sudan in establishing conservation policies that will protect the country’s living legacy as the country accustoms itself to independence, with an AWF employee working out of Juba as a technical resource for the Ministry of Wildlife, supporting President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s honorable pledge to defend his people’s wildlife resources.
The birth of a nation is a time of high hope but also anxiety; the region that South Sudan belongs to is heir to sectional and religious strife stretching back to the pharaohs. The new country now finds itself prey to the same malicious forces that have so severely damaged wildlife populations across Africa, but the government’s initial steps are encouraging, and more than worthy of our support.
War is hell, for wildlife as well as people. The breakdown of civic law and societal norms during such savage fighting as has been experienced by South Sudan routinely leads to the widespread destruction of native wildlife. Destitute refugees and ill-paid soldiers helped themselves to local wildlife in the form of bush meat, while the corruption that is heightened in times of war allowed for the brazen poaching of ivory: over 125,000 elephants are estimated to have been slaughtered during the conflict.
But while the wildlife of South Sudan has assuredly suffered terrible losses, initial surveys of the newly liberated country’s biota have revealed an astounding resilience in the face of manmade calamity, with core populations of many species in good health. Bandingilo National Park hosts the second-largest mammalian migration (at 1.3 million antelope) in the world after that of the Serengeti, while Boma and Southern National Parks, as well as the mighty Sudd wetlands system formed by the White Nile, provide habitat for large populations of hartebeest, kob, topi, Cape buffalo, elephants, giraffes, African wild dogs, and lions. Unlike its unloved neighbor to the north, South Sudan boasts of immense forested tracts that are home to bongo, giant forest hogs, red river hogs, forest elephants, and chimpanzees. The little known white-eared kob and Nile lechwe are unique to South Sudan. The new country’s intact habitat is a vast oasis in an environment cruelly sterilized by war and poverty - unique in its variability and sheer biological strength, its remarkable survival offers hope to all of Africa.
At the request of the new government, AWF is actively assisting South Sudan in establishing conservation policies that will protect the country’s living legacy as the country accustoms itself to independence, with an AWF employee working out of Juba as a technical resource for the Ministry of Wildlife, supporting President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s honorable pledge to defend his people’s wildlife resources.
The birth of a nation is a time of high hope but also anxiety; the region that South Sudan belongs to is heir to sectional and religious strife stretching back to the pharaohs. The new country now finds itself prey to the same malicious forces that have so severely damaged wildlife populations across Africa, but the government’s initial steps are encouraging, and more than worthy of our support.