Chad said it has withdrawn a mandate held by a non-profit conservation group associated with Prince Harry to manage its wildlife reserves, accusing the leading charity of not doing enough to stop poaching.
African Parks showed “a recurring indelicate and disrespectful attitude toward the government,” Environment Minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous said in a statement.
He also said there had been a resurgence in poaching and a lack of investment at the reserves managed by the conservation group.
African Parks said in a statement it was in talks to “better understand the government’s position” and “explore the best way forward to support the continued protection of these landscapes that are critical to conservation.”
Elephant populations
The decision ends a 15-year partnership between African Parks and the government to lead anti-poaching efforts and restore elephant populations at the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve and the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, which includes the Zakouma and Siniaka-Minia national parks.
According to African Parks, the elephant population at Zakouma National Parks increased from 450 in 2010, when it took over management of the site, to over 550 by 2019.