The Power of Poison: Study Examines Pesticide Poisoning of Africa’s Wildlife

Poisons are silent, effective and cheap, making the especially dangerous in Africa where they are used for both pest control and illegal poaching. However, as a new study  in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reveals, they also kill un-intended wildlife. Africa has a long history of using poison, both for early tribal warfare and for hunting. Synthetic poisons however were introduced, like so many things, by European colonialists in the 19th century. In southern Africa colonial administrators sanctioned the