Aid cuts hit Africa’s anti-poaching programs

Aid cuts hit Africa’s anti-poaching programs

US cuts to foreign aid have weakened anti-poaching efforts in Africa, with Mexican cartels and Chinese triads ramping up their presence in the illegal trade. Around $23 billion in illegal wildlife — much of it used for traditional medicine in East Asia — is traded each year, with many governments and conservation agencies formerly relying on USAID to fund their anti-trafficking efforts. However the sudden shuttering of the aid agency earlier thi…