Activity report April 2020
Covid-19 pandemic piles obstacles but the LAGA team keeps pushing forward. The month was remarkably marked by the doubling of results with 8 traffickers arrested with 2 live mandrills, 50kg of pangolin scales and a leopard skin.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, pangolin scales traffickers still calmly carry out their illegal trade and a woman arrested in East Region with 50kg of pangolin scales. She is a longtime trafficker employing several poachers and supplying major trafficking markets in Yaounde. She violently resisted arrest. Two young mandrills were rescued during the arrest of a primate trafficker in Yaounde and two in Lolordorf in the South Region where 4 traffickers were equally arrested with a leopard skin, precisely at the border town of Kye-Ossi. The arrested ran an illegal wildlife trade along the border area.
Protective measures put in place against the Covid-19 were observed and the LAGA team enabled wildlife officials to arrest 8 traffickers in 3 different towns. Supplementary protective measures were taken for the entire teams including wildlife officials and law enforcement members during operations and very special measures relating to the handling of primates were taken for the rescued mandrills. Emphasis was put on creative thinking and intelligent actions. The team was sent home but still came and pushed forward with resolve and a spirit of activism. The team�s achievements during these trying times are rare and exceptional.
