Conservationists warn: Elephants are vanishing

The wildlife group TRAFFIC says the number of elephants in Tanzania dropped by more than 65,000 in 5 years. Poaching is blamed

(DetroitFreePress) June 2, 2015 - NAIROBI, Kenya — The sharp decline of the elephant population in Tanzania, most likely the result of poaching, is catastrophic, a wildlife conservation group said Tuesday.

The Tanzanian government estimated Monday that 65,721 elephants have died in the country in the last five years. The report showed the number of Tanzanian elephants plummeting from about 109,051 in 2009 to 43,330 in 2014.

Steve Broad, the executive directors of the wildlife conservation group TRAFFIC, said it is incredible that poaching on such an industrial scale had not been identified and addressed. The statistics back TRAFFIC's concerns in a 2013 report that said the Tanzanian ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have become main exit points for vast amounts of ivory, the group said in a statement.

According to the conservation group, at least 45 tons of ivory have flowed from Tanzania to international markets in Asia since 2009. In February, China imposed a one-year ban on ivory imports that took immediate effect amid criticism that its citizens' huge appetite for ivory has fueled poaching that threatens the existence of African elephants.

And in the U.S., California lawmakers are seeking to close a loophole in the state's ban on importing, buying or selling elephant ivory or rhinoceros horn that allows old ivory to be sold. Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins said Tuesday that California is a top market for ivory and civil and criminal penalties could reduce sales.

TRAFFIC said a breakdown across the country showed some smaller elephant populations had increased, notably in the famed Serengeti region, where populations rose from 3,068 to 6,087 animals. However, beyond the most heavily visited tourist locations, elephant numbers were significantly down.

Of particular concern is the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem, where only 8,272 elephants remained in 2014, compared to 34,664 in 2009, according to government figures.

"Tanzania has been hemorrhaging ivory with Ruaha-Rungwa the apparent epicenter, and nobody seems to have raised the alarm," Broad said. He urged the government to take action to bring the situation under control.

The Tanzanian government says it has added 1,000 rangers to protect wildlife, but Broad said "there is a real risk that it could be a case of too little too late for some elephant populations." Full Story