Poaching in Africa has been a serious problem throughout history. In fact, poaching in Africa has led to the demise of some endangered species, as well as the addition of some species to the endangered species list. Poachers have also disturbed amazing studies on many creatures in Africa, sometimes wiping out an entire study group of animals, including tigers and elephants.

Elephant poaching has occurred throughout time. There are several reasons that poachers go after elephants. The most common reason is for elephant tusks. Although it is now illegal to utilize ivory or to sell it, many poachers make vast amounts of money selling the ivory on the black market. Elephants are family oriented and run in packs or herds. Often, when poachers approach , there is mass chaos and many elephants are slaughtered or die in the stampede.

Elephant poaching has been linked to the violence of some elephants around people. It is is believed that elephants now associate humans with the slaughter of their family groups and may continue to remain aggressive, making them a threat, which also increases the likelihood that they will be killed as well.

Tiger poaching often occurs because of their pelts. There are collectors that wish to have the skin of the tiger for display purposes. Tiger poachers may also sell other parts of the body, as some believe they have medicinal purposes. 

Baiting is often used in order to trap animals so that they can be poached or sold. In fact, baiting is most often used with dangerous animals. In some case, poachers wish to take the babies alive to sell and they must first deal with the parents. The poachers may bait a trap and kill the mother, before making off with the babies.

Baiting is often utilized to protect a poachers safety, as many adult animals can easily kill a human. For example, poachers that wish to kill adult tigers, may bait the adults and kill them for the hides. The poachers may then take the babies and sell them to those that wish to have them as pets. The entertainment industry, such as circuses, often purchase animals in this way as well.

Baiting may be utilized to get an animal into a trap or to a specific area where the poacher has the advantage. Perhaps the poacher will put food on the ground and then while the animal is distracted, the poacher kills the animal. In other cases, baiting is done with poisoned food, so that the animal dies upon consumption.

Poaching is a serious problem in many parts of the world. Baiting makes it easy for poachers to get away with the crime, while ensuring their own safety. However the use of traps and bait, often makes it much easier to discover the location of poachers and many poachers opt for less obvious methods.