Liberia’s Wildlife Crime Task Force Makes Headways in Combatting Wildlife Crime

Monrovia — In the lust forests and diverse ecosystems of Liberia, the battle against wildlife crime is being fought with determination and success by the national Wildlife Crime Task Force (WCTF), led by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).

Comprised of skilled rangers and law enforcement officers, this task force has been instrumental in tracking down and apprehending those involved in illegal wildlife activities since its creation in 2019.

Funding from the European Union through the project “PROBIO: Protecting biodiversity through law enforcement and community-led initiatives”, which started in January 2024, has given the WCTF a new boost and has led to remarkable successes since the beginning of the year.

Being a global biodiversity hotspot, Liberia’s wildlife is rich and unique, including highly endangered species, such as chimpanzees, forest elephants, pygmy hippos, and various other species of mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Unfortunately, the illegal trade in bushmeat and other wildlife products poses a significant threat to these animals and their habitats.

Poaching, trafficking and habitat destruction are some of the key challenges faced by the conservation efforts in the country.

Led by the experienced law enforcement expert Mr. Edward Y.N.W. Appleton, Manager of FDA Forest Law Enforcement Department and since 2021 Coordinator of the WCTF, the combination of intelligence gathering, surveillance operations, and collaboration with local communities, as well as national and international stakeholders, has enabled the WCTF to identify and intercept activities which cause irreparable harm to Liberia’s precious wildlife and natural heritage.

One of the key successes of the WCTF has been its ability to track down and apprehend wildlife traffickers operating in the country.

By working closely with other law enforcement agencies such as the Liberia National Police, Ministry of Justice through the Circuit Court, and partners, such as the Special Wildlife Investigation Unit (SWIU), the WCTF has been able to dismantle criminal networks involved in the illegal trade of wildlife products.

From January to June 2024, thanks to the support from the European Union, the fight against Illegal Wildlife Trade has seen an unprecedented success, with nine convictions in line with the National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law, compared to six in the entire year of 2023.

The fines reach from 3 months in prison to the payment of US$ 200. In January 2024, two suspects were arrested, charged and convicted for hunting and possession of weapons in a protected area, specifically in Grebo-Krahn National Park. In February, another person was convicted for hunting, killing of protected species and possession of weapons, also in Grebo-Krahn National Park.

One person was convicted for illegal possession of a protected species – a monkey (Sooty Mangabey) captive in a residential area in March. Later, in April, two persons were charged and convicted for smuggling a Patas monkey which is not of Liberian origin and assorted bushmeat from protected animals.

In June, three suspects were tracked down by the WCTF in Grand Gedeh and River Gee for being in possession of critically endangered chimpanzees. They were charged, prosecuted, and convicted.

Three other cases are still pending before the court.

WCTF stands as a shining example of effective wildlife conservation efforts in Liberia and in the West Africa region.

This is buttressed by the WCTF’s involvement in series of regional trainings, such as working along with the ECOWAS Regional Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force on intelligence and data sharing, which includes other ECOWAS member states, such as Ghana, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.

The EU-funded PROBIO project runs from January 2024 to March 2026. It is part of the EU’s 16 million US dollar initiative in Liberia’s forestry and conservation sector “Protecting a green future: Forestry and Conservation for a sustainable economic development in Liberia” The PROBIO project is led by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, with four partners: The Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia, the Nature Compact, Libassa Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Besides local communities, the main beneficiaries in the Liberian government are the Forestry Development Authority, the Forestry Training Institute, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Besides support for law enforcement, the project includes strong support for local community members and awareness-raising, to ensure sustainable protection of Liberia’s unique biodiversity.