The Pachyderm Annihilation 2

Taking action

By Njenga Hakeenah

23^rd 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."