With the news coverage and the political attention that the current elephant poaching crisis has attracted in recent months, it is easy to overlook that working together can yield positive results for elephants.
Ivory’s Curse: The Militarization and Professionalization of Poaching in Africa reveals similarity between the illicit networks that enable terrorism, weapons, human trafficking, and ivory commercialization.
Between late January and late February this year, ivory, elephant tooth and leopard skin dealers were arrested in Cameroon thanks to the intervention of a small but renowned organisation - the Last Great Ape Organisation.
In a blow to domestic and international efforts committed to obstructing illegal poaching, a Ugandan high court judge has ordered the return of 2.9 tons of ivory to a Congolese national.
Born Free Foundation would like to send a big 'thank you' to everyone who has donated to the current Bloody Ivory fundrasing project: the elephants of Babile Elephant Sanctuary in Ethiopia, around 100 of which have been poached in the past 4 years.
Following an international meeting by government decision makers on 13th February 2014, an Elephant Protection Initiative by Ethiopia, Chad, Botswana, Tanzania and Gabon was announced.
In response to escalating levels of elephant poaching and illegal trade in ivory, destruction is being increasingly accepted as the only viable long term solution to the problem of the ever increasing government-owned ivory stockpiles. Why?