African wildlife advocates are sounding the alarm - with the introduction of quarantine measures around the world, the wildlife tourism sector has literally evaporated. Most environmental projects were mostly financed by visitors, but now they are gone.
Throughout the continent, nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and parks stop infrastructure projects and reduce salaries, as they are struggling with a crisis that affects tourist destinations.
"This is going to have huge economic ramifications - not only months ahead, perhaps years," said Kirsty Smith, SWT's donor relations manager. "It's uncertain territory, and we are worried."
The SWT operates 13 anti-poaching teams and five mobile veterinary teams that conduct aerial surveillance and ground patrols to protect elephants and rhinos.
These events are based on online donations and a fee of 500 Kenyan shillings ($ 4.71), which is paid daily by 500 visitors to get to an orphaned shelter in the capital of Nairobi. This very popular elephant orphanage closed its doors to visitors on March 15, after the country's first case of COVID-19 had been registered.
Last year, Kenya alone earned $1.6 billion in tourism, money that was spent not only on the needs of the growing hospitality industry, but also on wildlife conservation efforts and the fight against poaching. According to the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations, about 70 million tourists visited Africa last year, but the forecasts for the current year are the most disappointing.