Anger over elephant killings
A family of 12 elephants have been slaughtered and their tusks hacked off in the worst recorded ivory poaching incident in Kenya's history, prompting calls for action to tackle the illegal trade.
A family of 12 elephants have been slaughtered and their tusks hacked off in the worst recorded ivory poaching incident in Kenya's history, prompting calls for action to tackle the illegal trade.
Elephant poaching is increasing across Africa with 2009-2011 including three of the top four years in which the largest quantities of ivory were seized worldwide, and there are increasing reports of elephant poaching coming in from across Africa.
This event demonstrates the lengths that poachers will go to get ivory – even killing an 2 month old calf. It highlights the need for greater emphasis to be placed on range states, transit and consumer states to work together to address the global increase in wildlife crime.
Illegal poaching in Africa is being fuelled by a growing demand for ivory from wealthy consumers in China, and across Asia.
The poachers who slaughtered 12 elephants at the weekend were likely big-time gangsters fuelled by consumer demand in the Far East.
A family of 12 elephants has been killed and their tusks hacked off in the worst recorded incident of ivory poaching in Kenya's history.