Elephant Conservation

in Conservation by Araneta&Tan — November 5, 2009 at 12:59 pm | 0 comments

The African elephant is one of the most majestic animals on earth. Graceful, beautiful and unique, a world without them is almost too awful to imagine. But that is the stark possibility that was presented this week by experts in animal conservation at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), who said that the African elephant could be extinct in the wild in as little as 15 years.

Dwindling Population

The population of African elephants today stands at about 600,000. This may seem like a fairly healthy number, but it is going down rapidly. Experts suggest that the population is now going down by as many as 38,000 each year, or 100 each day. And at this rate they only have a certain amount of time left.

The Ivory Trade

These figures have been worked out based on seizures of illegal tusks that have been found on their way to eastern markets. This is a trade that is growing rapidly after being brought relatively under control in recent years. In 2006 alone, 11 tonnes of ivory was seized on ships heading for the far east. The trade has grown so large that the amount of elephants being killed now outweigh the number being born.

Elephants are just one of the animals under threat from illegal poaching. The illegal trade in wildlife is currently valued at a staggering $12.5 billion.

Troubled History

The problem with the poaching of elephants is that the ban on ivory trading has been undermined over the years. 20 years ago, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) introduced new measures that effectively made the ivory trade illegal. Enormous protection was given to elephants to prevent the vast drops in numbers that had been witnessed throughout the 1980s. During the space of ten years, the numbers went down from 1.2 million to 450,000.

Despite initial success, loopholes and new efforts by the pro-ivory industry have seen the trade rise again. One of the major problems is that sales of ivory from elephants that have died from natural causes are occasionally permitted. However, this only serves to fuel demand. On top of that, the recent economic crisis has made things even worse as anti-poaching efforts are scaled back.

The problem can be witnessed starkly in Zakouma National Park in Chad. As recently as 2005, there were 3,885 elephants here. This year that number has gone down to just 617.

New Regulation Needed

Now IFAW is calling for immediate action to combat the potential extinction of this incredible animal. It is calling on all members of CITES and the EU to stop its support for the ivory trade completely.

Kenya has proposed to extend the ‘resting period’ for ivory sales from nine to 20 years, and IFAW is asking for support for this initiative at the next CITES meeting in March 2010.

Support the IFAW

If you want to help the IFAW in its bid to save the elephant from imminent extinction, you can support it through its website. Not only will you be helping the plight of the elephants, but the fund also supports animal welfare initiatives across the globe, running projects in over 40 countries.