Efforts are underway to deploy forces along the national parks and games reserves to deter poaching, the Minister of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism has said.
South Sudan is known to be a home to elephants, a great number of cheetah, ostrich, Nile crocodile, pangolins, among others, but are at risk of extinction.
But conservationists say the wildlife is being depleted because armed cattle raiders and troops on the move rely on wild meat.
The Wildlife Conservation Society attributed this to poaching, selling or buying of bush-meat as well as deforestation.
It noted that at least 75 elephants have been killed in South Sudan between year 2012 and 2014.
On Monday, an elephant was seen floating on the Nile River in Juba.
The Ministry of Wildlife confirmed that the animal was shot 15 miles from Juba. It discovered that the tusks of the elephant were removed.
A dead Elephant was found floating on the River-Nile in Juba Na Bari yesterday.
?Photo Cred| Courtesy pic.twitter.com/2ij04MJeyu
— Eye Radio (@EyeRadioJuba) August 19, 2020
Minister Rizik Zachariah told Eye Radio on Thursday that poaching of wildlife is encouraged by presence of arms in the hands of unauthorized individuals.
He said rangers will be deployed both inside and outside of the game parks and reserves.
For the last four years, the government of South Sudan has made pronouncements that it plans to deploy forces in national parks and reserves, including along the borders to stop poaching.
Experts believe that the proper management of game reserves and the protection of wild animals will attract tourists into South Sudan.