Crimes against wildlife have come to the fore in South Africa in the past decade – largely due to the dramatic escalation of rhino poaching. As a major custodian of iconic species such as the Big Five, South Africa is at the core of the illicit wildlife economy. Since the country is reliant on wildlife tourism for economic development, poaching brings serious financial consequences. These negative impacts, however, extend far beyond the economy and also protrude into the cultural sphere. While some South Africans may be unmoved by the plight of the country’s wildlife as a result of a lack of exposure thereto, many feel socially linked to wildlife. Concerned citizens often consider that future generations will not be able to experience wildlife due to extinction, and will thus be deprived of their rightful cultural inheritance. The impact of wildlife crime may therefore be seen as a form of cultural victimisation.

中文翻译：

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遗失的遗产：南非野生动植物犯罪的文化影响

在过去十年中，针对野生动植物的犯罪在南非日益盛行-主要是由于犀牛偷猎活动的急剧升级。南非作为“五大”等标志性物种的主要保管人，是非法野生生物经济的核心。由于该国依靠野生动植物旅游来发展经济，偷猎活动会带来严重的财务后果。但是，这些负面影响远远超出了经济范围，而且还延伸到了文化领域。由于缺乏野生动植物，南非一些野生动物的困境可能使他们不为所动，但许多人却感到与野生动植物有社会联系。受到关注的公民经常认为，由于灭绝，子孙后代将无法体验野生动植物，因此将被剥夺其应有的文化遗产。