Why do people poach? A Zambia prison survey finds opportunity, not greed, drives most wildlife crime

According to a piece published Friday by Alex Megerle on Mongabay, a new study of 302 people imprisoned for wildlife crimes in Zambia has found that most were drawn into poaching by opportunity or hardship, not organized criminal greed.

The research, carried out by the NGO Wildlife Crime Prevention Zambia in partnership with Copperbelt University with approval from the Zambia Correctional Service, involved open-ended interviews across 32 correctional facilities. Bushmeat hunting was the most common offense, followed by poaching involving elephants, pangolins and rhinos, illegal fishing, and firearm-related crimes. Forty percent of respondents cited opportunity as their main motivation, while 16 percent pointed to circumstances like the need for food or medical care. Nearly all respondents were men, about half were over 41, and most were first-time offenders, though a third admitted to prior unreported involvement.

About a third of respondents said they did not intend to return to wildlife crime after release, while roughly 80 percent of men said they were not worried about community stigma once freed. Meredith Gore, a researcher who reviewed the findings, said the study shows wildlife crime does not fit a standard criminology model, raising questions about whether conventional recidivism frameworks apply. Experts quoted in the piece suggested that helping former offenders find legitimate work could do more to curb repeat poaching than punitive measures alone.

Alex Megerle, Mongabay: https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-did-you-come-to-be-here-study-digs-into-origins-of-zambian-wildlife-crime/