As
many as 75% of elephants killed since 2004
February 2013. A new study confirms what has been long suspected: elephant
populations are being decimated to the point that the survival of the species
in Central Africa is now in question.
According to a study by the Gabonese National Parks Agency, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), poachers have killed an estimated 11,100 elephants - between 44 to 77 per cent of the population -in parts of Minkébé's National Park and its surroundings in northern Gabon since 2004, when it held Africa's largest forest elephant population.
According to a study by the Gabonese National Parks Agency, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), poachers have killed an estimated 11,100 elephants - between 44 to 77 per cent of the population -in parts of Minkébé's National Park and its surroundings in northern Gabon since 2004, when it held Africa's largest forest elephant population.
‘Out
of control'
"The situation is out of control. We are witnessing the systematic
slaughter of the world's largest land mammal," said Bas Huijbregts, head
of the Central African strand of WWF's global campaign against illegal wildlife
trade.
Ivory
war has spread across Africa
"Some reports lead the world to believe that the ivory war has moved from the Central Africa region to other parts of the continent. This is wrong. What has changed is that these criminals are now also attacking the better protected elephant herds in Eastern and Southern Africa. But here in Central Africa, unnoticed to the world, elephants are losing this war at lightning speed."
"Some reports lead the world to believe that the ivory war has moved from the Central Africa region to other parts of the continent. This is wrong. What has changed is that these criminals are now also attacking the better protected elephant herds in Eastern and Southern Africa. But here in Central Africa, unnoticed to the world, elephants are losing this war at lightning speed."
Regional
Crisis
Fiona Maisels, a conservation scientist at WCS who has been analyzing the survey data, said that the data pointed to a regional crisis.
Fiona Maisels, a conservation scientist at WCS who has been analyzing the survey data, said that the data pointed to a regional crisis.
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