The jumbo’s prized ivory still its curse

By Juma Kwayera

A study titled Ivory Markets in the US by conservationists Esmond Martin and Daniel Stiles notes 681 of 701 elephant tusks sold in the US in 2007, came from Africa. Lawless Zimbabwe took the lead followed by Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana.

The researchers say the quantity could be higher as it is difficult to track down the movement of ivory from Africa.

"Tusks from Africa are first sent to a third country; tracking the movement is very difficult," says the report. This is the latest published data since the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) conference in The Hague, The Netherlands, allowed the Southern African elephant range states a one-off sale of their ivory stockpiles in 2007. Leading markets in the world include China, Japan and the US.

The partial downgrading of the elephant from the category of species threatened with extinction is perceived to have triggered an upsurge in poaching last year. However, the threat does not stop there. A recent dispute between the Kenya Wildlife Service and Chinese embassy exposed the new front where the war against poaching is being fought — road construction to open up hitherto remote parts of the country.

Government records

According to Government records, regions where Chinese contractors are building roads are prone to poaching. Last year, the ministry estimates that foreign contractors killed 80 elephants, sparking complaints from the Chinese embassy over perceived ethnic profiling of their nationals.

A senior official in the Ministry of Wildlife and Forestry blamed the upsurge in poaching on lax surveillance and porous borders with Tanzania

"We have difficulties in protecting our wildlife species, especially the elephant and the rhino. Tanzania lacks the equipment and technical know-how to track their stocks. They are also indifferent to appeals for joint operations in game parks to keep poachers off. They believe their elephant stocks are stable, but their rhino numbers have declined to less than 40, which speaks volumes about the level surveillance," the wildlife security officer, who declined to be identified, said.