Taking action
By Njenga Hakeenah
23rd February 2013
Kenya
loses at least one elephant daily to poaching and over 365 elephants annually.
 |
A rotting elephant carcass
Photo: KUOPA/Sheldrick Trust
|
Current
data shows that the current demand for ivory exceeds any possible supply of
elephants, and that demand must reduce if elephants are to survive.
By
2011, illegal killing of elephants was nearly triple that of the 1990s. Iain
Douglas-Hamilton, the founder of Save the Elephants, said that while in terms
of sheer numbers killed the 1970s and 1980s was worse, the situation today is a
"very big crisis" and in "other ways it is much worse."
Kenya’s
wildlife which is the largest foreign exchange earner is under threat!
The
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) affirms that the security of the Elephants is
under threat as there has been a gradual escalation in their poaching since
2005. This is due to market dynamics influenced by escalation in the black
market prices driven by demand in the Asian countries.
Over
80% of Kenya’s elephants populations are outside protected areas – national
parks and reserves. The critical Kenya’s elephant range areas are the northern
coast; the Tsavo-Chyulu-Amboseli-Kilimanjaro ecosystem; the Aberdare-Mt.
Kenya-Laikipia-Samburu-Northern Area ecosystem; the Nguruman-Mara-Serengeti ecosystem
and the Nasolot-Romoi-Kerio Valley ecosystem. The loss of over 80% elephants
has been due primarily to killing for ivory; natural habitat loss and human
population has tripled reduction in elephant range since 1970.
KWS
says that of all the elephant poaching cases in year 2012, 300 elephants,
(representing 78% of poaching cases) were poached in wildlife dispersal areas
outside the parks with 22% of poaching occurring in protected areas. 12 rhinos
were poached outside protected areas (representing 63% of all poaching cases)
while seven rhinos were poached in the National Parks.
Kenya
remains an important conduit to international destinations for illicit
consignments of wildlife products and particularly ivory.
Some
of the ivory seized in Kenya was on transit from Angola, South Sudan, Zambia
and the Democratic Republic of Congo among others. Destinations for the ivory
contraband include China, Nigeria, Malaysia and Thailand. Ivory is being
poached in every part of the continent and political instability in most of the
countries is fuelling it.
 |
A rotting elephant carcass
Photo: KUOPA/Sheldrick Trust
|
In
June 2012, 345 pieces of elephant ivory weighing 601 kg stuffed in six wooden
boxes were intercepted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
The contraband was being smuggled to Lagos, Nigeria.
In
September 2012, another consignment of 62 pieces of raw elephant ivory weighing
255 kg was seized at the same Nairobi airport. The contraband, whose origins
are yet to be established, was en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
On
15th January 2013, a 20 feet container suspected of containing ivory was
subjected to verification and it turned out that it was containing elephant
ivory wrapped in bundles of gunny bags and concealed by layers of slabs of
local stones commonly known as Mazeras stones.
These
seizures confirm what has already been established as a link to rob not only
Kenya but Africa of its natural resources.
A
kilogram of ivory retails for as much as $ 2,000 in the Far East and in Kenya
it fetches between Ksh 12,000-18,000 (approx. $ 140-210). A big bull carrying
100 kg of ivory would bring in the equivalent of 1.5 years’ salary of a
wildlife ranger or 15 years’ salary for the worker. The Kenya Elephant Forum
KEF says the incentive to poach is enormous. The large seizures of ivory at the
port of Mombasa illustrate the scale of the problem and if this trend
continues, the national elephant population may decline considerably, given the
current mortality rate of 4% compared to a growth rate of 2% in 2011.
The
Wildlife Ministry Permanent Secretary Hyslop Ipu has assured that the law
governing wildlife will be amended to give deterrent sentences. However, a lot
more needs to be done to ensure that the problem is nicked in the bud. There’s
been talk of complacency and compromised KWS staff which could have worsened
poaching.
KWS
Director William Kiprono says they are recruiting 1,000 rangers to deal with poaching
in national parks and private sanctuaries.
He
said the rangers will be recruited in two phases starting in July this year
while the rest will be employed next year.
Kiprono
notes that shortage of rangers and inadequate funding had been frustrating the
war against poaching among other wildlife related crimes.
The
government is also planning to conduct a major head count of Kenya’s endangered
wildlife in the wake of increased poaching in the country.
Head
of Civil Service Francis Kimemia said the audit will be conducted by a
multi-stakeholder team that will also include the private sector.
He
said a team comprising members from the intelligence service and the police,
and KWS rangers will be set up to patrol all national parks and ensure that the
menace is dealt with once and for all.
KEF
has requested for a Commission of Inquiry into poaching of elephants and rhinos
with an expanded mandate to investigate individuals suspected of colluding in
poaching and ivory trafficking, examine the long chain of companies involved in
the transport, warehousing, clearing and shipping of containers found to be
carrying ivory and but not limited to the quantification of the social and
economic impact of elephant poaching and trafficking of ivory in Kenya. This
includes the cost of insecurity and resulting loss of life and livelihoods as
well as loss of their heritage.
 |
A rotting elephant carcass
Photo: KUOPA/Sheldrick Trust
|
The
multi-stakeholder KEF also called for a review of penalties and making
necessary adjustments to adequately punish Wildlife Criminals and the recognition
that the wildlife of Kenya belongs to the people of Kenya and that they have
the right to participate in its protection.
Former
Kenya Wildlife Service Director Nehemiah Rotich says that the losses occasioned
by poaching have negative effects beyond the tourism industry and affects 5
Kenyans not directly employed in the sector.
He
adds that blame should not be pegged on under-staffing and equipping alone but
on making everyone accountable.
A
484 km walk inspired by the late Michael Werikhe, the Rhino Man appealed
globally to friends and organizations who care about elephants conservation to
raise awareness and funds to establish and support Community-based Elephant
Monitoring Programs (CEMP) in the following areas; Loita-Koromoto in Maasai
Mara (Serengeti), Amboseli-Namanga( Kilimanjaro), Kora Bisinadi and Tsavo
larger ecosystem in collaboration with the local communities.
The
walk was flagged off on the February 9th 20313 at the Nakumatt Likoni by Jim
Nyamu- founder
of Elephant Neighbors Center and a research scientist- and ends at the Tree
Centre, Nairobi Arboretum grounds on Saturday 23rd February 2013.
The
campaign is a collaboration partnership between Governments, the Private
Sector, and NGOs. It has collected over 10,000 petitions that will culminate in
a unified message from Kenya to the world.
The
petitions will be delivered to the 177 governments meeting in Bangkok from
March 3-14 for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to begin "a formal procedure that would lead
to a total ban of the ivory trade."
