Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

This July, at CITES¹ ‘Standing Committee’ meeting, China was approved to buy
‘legal’ ivory from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Japan has
already been approved, with the one-off sales likely later this year. The
approval was opposed by many countries, most notably the African Elephant
Coalition, a group of 19 elephant Range States. But their concerns were ignored
by those countries which voted in favour of China, which included the UK.

Lifting the strict ban on the sale of ivory and permitting legal imports is likely to
facilitate laundering of illegal ivory and will therefore increase elephant
poaching. Yet poaching has already reached crisis point, particularly in West and
Central Africa. More than 20,000 African elephants are estimated to be killed
every year. But there may be as few as 7,500 elephants remaining throughout
West Africa and just 475,000 across the continent.

“Now that China and Japan have been approved to purchase stockpiled ivory,
the situation can only get worse. It is a death sentence for elephants.
Unscrupulous criminal networks are taking advantage of the legal trade to
launder illegal ivory into the poorly regulated markets. Urgent funds are
needed to protect the remaining elephant populations.”

Shelley Waterland,
International Trade Specialist, Born Free Foundation

Elephant poaching and the illegal trade in ivory is a multi-million pound business
often run by highly organised criminal networks. Every dead elephant can yield
10kg of ivory – worth possibly thousands of pounds. It is usually the most
vulnerable elephant populations that are targeted for this poaching, particularly
in West and Central Africa. For some elephant populations there is still time, but
we have reached crisis point in many countries and funds are urgently needed
to equip rangers and train enforcement officers.

In 2004 there were thought to be around 4,000 elephants in Zakouma National
Park in Tchad, in Central Africa. Today they number less than 1,000. Similarly the
Central African Republic is estimated to be losing around 500 elephants a year
from poaching. If elephant poaching in West and Central Africa is not brought
under control very quickly, there will no longer be any elephants left to protect.

“Wildlife rangers are risking their lives every day to protect elephants from
armed poachers. Can you help them? The rangers urgently need better
equipment and training. Your support would make a vital contribution.
Please, give what you can.”

Will Travers, Chief Executive, Born Free Foundation