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How dangerous is it to be an undercover wildlife investigator?

Adams Cassinga has received death threats for his work targeting smugglers and poachers in the DRC.

“We found out in the middle of an operation that the guy were trying to arrest was related to the hotel owner and we were locked in the hotel… We had to use a weapon at that stage – to disperse the crowd but also to break the padlock and get scot free.”

What does a wildlife investigator do and what part do they play in conserving Africa’s natural heritage?

For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan speaks to Adams Cassinga, the founder of Conserv Congo. Its more than 100 members work undercover to catch poachers and smugglers using fake personas and sting operations. They also have a network of informants in local communities.

So how does such an operation manage with meagre resources? And how did Adams, who used to work in the mining sector, get involved in this work?

PRESENTER: Alan Kasujja @Kasujja
GUEST: Adams Cassinga @ConservC

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21 minutes

Podcast