Poaching and its Potential to Impact Wildlife Tourism: An Assessment of Poaching Trends in the Mole National Park in Ghana

Abstract

Poaching poses serious threats to conservation and wildlife tourism development efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. This paper was based on the contemporary levels of poaching in the Mole National Park (MNP), a major destination for experiencing wildlife in their natural settings in Ghana. The study describes poaching trends in MNP; assesses the influence of anti-poaching measures and the effect of poaching on large mammal numbers in the park. Snowball sampling method was used to conduct interviews and field data were collected by observations and the use of GPS during patrols with law enforcement units. The study results showed no significant drop in poaching trends. However, the number of poachers who were arrested and those who escaped arrest increased during the same time period. The study revealed that aside from the carnivore species which showed a dip in numbers, most animals tallied showed an increase despite the high rate of poaching.