ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book breaks down the rhetoric surrounding poaching and wildlife trafficking to assess its basis in empirical evidence. It considers the prevailing narratives on the threat posed to human security through the destruction of natural heritage of critical, long-term economic value. It focuses on the full range of wildlife derivatives that may be poached and sold on in African source areas. The book then examines a different genre of security threat. It then examines myths and realities surrounding the much-publicised role of ivory poaching and trafficking in funding terrorist organisations. The book focuses on the three most frequently cited groups: Al-Shabaab, the Lord's Resistance Army and the Janjaweed. It argues that although the organised criminal nature of wildlife trafficking is increasingly recognised, reflecting a solid body of evidence, the scale of the threat posed is less readily assessed.
