The tragic story of Cecil the lion’s death has circulated through the news this past month. Unfortunately, news like this is not a rare occurrence when it comes to the lives of African wildlife. August 12 is designated World Elephant Day and the Wildlife Conservation Society is working on raising awareness of the illegal ivory trafficking and poaching of these magnificent animals. Poachers continue to slaughter animals such as lions, rhinoceros, elephants, and several other wild animals for their fur, tusks, and sometimes simply just to mount on a wall. Although several laws are in place regarding this type of hunting, poachers continue to take the lives of these innocent creatures and sell their parts on the black market.
Elephants in Africa are on the fast track toward extinction due to the poachers' desire for the elephants’ ivory tusks. It is said that 96 elephants are killed in Africa each day; that is one elephant every 15 minutes. In the past 75 years, the wild elephant population in Africa has drastically declined from around three million elephants in 1940 to a mere 300,000 today. Elephant tusks on the black market in China sell for as much at $200,000, which gives poachers strong motivation to ignore the bans on killing elephants, as well as the ban on the sale of ivory.
Ivory trafficking is banned in 181 countries around the world according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Many elephants that escape being killed by poachers sill walk away with severe wounds from guns, knives, spears, arrows, and other weapons. Elephants can also suffer from severe shock. These wounds are prone to infection and can also lead to the death of these creatures. Wildlife activists seek out these wounded elephants and make the effort to take them into a conservation facility where wildlife veterinarians will try to nurse them back to health.
One of the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation programs in the world is the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The Trust is located in Nairobi, Kenya, and is made up of enough space for the animals to roam, and a team of passionate people with a common goal to preserve the elephant species. The hope is that these animals will make a full recovery at the facility, and eventually be released back into the wild when the time comes. Unfortunately, not all elephants that are taken in and treated by these professionals are success stories. Many of them are unable to survive the wounds and the trauma inflicted by poachers.
Last month President Obama visited Kenya and announced steps to tighten the bans and restrictions on the sale of ivory, but despite the efforts of the political leaders around the world, these animals are still being sought after and killed for their tusks. If we don't make some significant progress soon, it is predicted that these elephants will go completely extinct within the next fifteen years.
