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<p>The UK Government is committed to playing its part in international action to tackle
wildlife poaching and smuggling.</p><p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is using
its network of diplomatic posts to influence international efforts to combat the illegal
wildlife trade, including through supporting anti-poaching and trafficking initiatives.</p><p>In
December 2013 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department
for International Development announced £10 million of funding, over 4 years, to help
developing countries tackle the illegal wildlife trade. The funding will support actions
under three themes: developing sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by
illegal wildlife trade, strengthening law enforcement and the role of the criminal
justice system, and reducing demand for the products of illegal wildlife trade.</p><p>One
of the projects already selected for funding aims to identify trafficking routes,
individuals and networks involved in the illegal trade of elephant ivory and rhinoceros
horns in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. This project will increase cooperation between
national and international authorities.</p><p>Further information about projects that
successfully applied for funding under the competitive “Illegal Wildlife Challenge
Fund” this summer will be available soon.</p><p>The FCO is working with a number of
African countries in assisting them with options to provide anti-poaching training.
For example, the British Army ran a training programme for the Kenyan Wildlife Service
and the Kenyan Forestry Service, beginning in December 2013, with the aim of sharing
operational tactics with Kenyan rangers following the killing of over 60 rangers on
duty across the country by poachers in the past two years.</p>
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