One
of Africa's best-studied elephant populations reveals the disturbing impacts of
poaching
January
2013. The devastating impacts of a recent surge in ivory poaching have been
chronicled in detail by new research on one of Africa's best-studied elephant
populations.
Almost
a thousand elephants in Samburu, Northern Kenya, have been closely monitored
over the last decade and a half. Over the last four years intensive poaching
caused by demand for their tusks has disrupted their close-knit society.
The
illegal killing of elephants is increasing rapidly across the continent as the
price of ivory has soared. Massacres in Central Africa's National Parks last
year are now being echoed elsewhere in Kenya, including a well-publicised incident
in Tsavo National Park on January 4th 2013.
Research
conducted by Save the
Elephants (STE), a Kenya-based conservation organisation, gives the
first detailed analysis of the impacts of illegal killing on a well-studied
population.
"Unfortunately, illegal killing and related population decline is increasingly common across Africa, therefore the results from this study are directly relevant to understanding the conservation status of this species," said Dr George Wittemyer of the Colorado State University and STE, who led the study.
"Unfortunately, illegal killing and related population decline is increasingly common across Africa, therefore the results from this study are directly relevant to understanding the conservation status of this species," said Dr George Wittemyer of the Colorado State University and STE, who led the study.
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