For conservation to succeed, we must embrace conservation models where people use their natural resources to create jobs, to grow economies, and to feed their people while protecting wildlife and Africa's iconic species.

We are facing an enormous crisis in Africa right now in terms of illegal wildlife trafficking, which is decimating animal populations, destroying local economies, and funding armed insurgencies and terrorist syndicates. If we do not find solutions to this crisis now, there will be little habitat left beyond sparse areas of national parks that will serve as glorified zoos to small pockets of remaining animals.

In addition to tourism, it is essential to employ other ways to benefit more from the use of natural resources than from their destruction - from wildlife breeding operations to - yes - hunting of abundant species where viable.

For conservation to succeed, we must embrace conservation models where people use their natural resources to create jobs, to grow economies, and to feed their people while protecting wildlife and Africa's iconic species.