Published by Paul G Allen's Vulcan Inc. on August 31st
Photos and comments by Nature-Explored
In the worst years between 2011 and 2014
over 30,000 elephants a year were being
slaughtered for their ivory. In 2015 at least
20,000 elephants were killed for their tusks
Paul G Allen in collaboration with Elephants Without Borders, African Parks, the Frankfurt Zoological society, the Wildlife Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy, Kevin Dunham, Save the Elephants and the IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group conducted a two year Pan African arial survey of African savannah elephants. Forest elephants are to be done in a separate survey.
Teams flew 294,517km2 to sample as much of the elephant's range as possible. Eighteen countries were surveyed and two (South Sudan and Central African Republic) are still to be completed.
The results are grim reading but in summary they show that we have lost 30% of all savannah elephants in the 7 years from 2007 to 2014. That's equivalent to 144,000 elephants, and the primary reason is Ivory poaching.
In spite of a Global ban on International trade
in ivory the trade has exploded due to the
legal domestic trade being used as a cover
for laundering illegal ivory. Chinese wealth is
financing the gangs that threaten the extinction
of elephants within our lifetime
Overall the population is declining by 8% per year, although its much worse in some places and actually increasing in others.
352,271 elephants were counted. The team are confident that this number represents at least 93% of all the elephants left out there.
The worst hit countries were Mozambique and Tanzania. Mozambique counted 9,605 thats 53% lost in just 5 years.Tanzania counted 42,871 thats a 60% loss in five years.
In contrast Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa were stable, and Uganda, Kenya and Malawi were growing. Uganda's elephants have bounced back to 4864 from a low of less than 800 in the 1980's. Kenya's population is relatively stable at 25,959
In some areas with low numbers the elephant could go locally extinct unless protection is given straight away.
Tanzania had around 109,000 elephants in
2006. Now that number is about 45000.
Mozambique had 20,000 and now has only
10,000. These figure are not static. Every day
the killing continues and the numbers continue
to drop
When you read this remember that even in the 1970's there were about a million elephants in Africa. Originally there were thought to be well over 20 million elephants and they ranged pretty well over all of Africa (including forest elephants) except the Sahara desert. Now they are eradicated from over 90% of their former range.
During the whole time of this survey, the poaching has gone on all day every day. Between 80 and 100 elephants are still being wiped out every 24 hours.
It is the duty of the rich nations of the World to finance conservation of these animals and the rest of the rich biodiversty of the planet for the benefit of all of mankind. Instead they seem to want to waste our money on wars, weapons and killing. We are capable of being better than this.
< > < >Follow the link to the Great Elephant Census Final Report