Elephant Poaching – Slaughtered For Their Tusks
Warning: This article contains graphic images of elephants being slaughtered.
Gaborone, Botswana
States where the illegal ivory trade operates agreed to tougher measures to try to stop the slaughter of African elephants for their tusks. The African Elephant Summit in Botswana brought together negotiators from elephant habitat countries Gabon, Kenya, Niger, and Zambia; ivory transit states Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia; and ivory destination states China and Thailand. They agreed to list elephant poaching as a “serious crime” under a U.N. convention, allowing them to seize assets and extradite suspects. At current elephant poaching rates, one in five African elephants will be dead within a decade. “If we do not stem the tide,” said Botswanan President Ian Khama, “future generations will condemn our unwillingness to act. ”
Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers. Tens of thousands of elephants are being killed every year for their ivory tusks. The ivory is often carved into ornaments and jewellery – China is the biggest consumer market for such products.<span class="su-quote-cite">World Wildlife Fund</span>