How many elephants were killed by poaching?
It is estimated there are around 350,000 elephants left in Africa, but approximately 10-15,000 are killed each year by poachers. At current poaching rates, elephants are in danger of being virtually wiped from the continent, surviving only in small, heavily protected pockets.
When did poaching elephants become illegal?
The ban on international trade was introduced in 1989 by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) after years of unprecedented poaching. In the 1980s, an estimated 100,000 elephants were being killed per year and up to 80% of herds were lost in some regions.
Are poachers still killing elephants?
Even though the international trade in ivory has been banned since 1990, some 30,000 African elephants are still killed by poachers each year, out of a continent-wide population of about 400,000.
Why is it illegal to poach elephants?
One of the main reasons that elephants are poached is because of their ivory. Despite the international ivory trade being banned, they are still being poached in large numbers. Their ivory tusks are used for ornaments, jewelry, billiards balls, piano keys and other items that humans enjoy.
How many elephants killed 2020?
As Botswana, home to about 130,000 African elephants, has struggled to explain the recent deaths, Zimbabwe on its eastern border reported the death of 37 elephants in 2020.
Why elephants are killed for?
Poachers kill about 20,000 elephants every single year for their tusks, which are then traded illegally in the international market to eventually end up as ivory trinkets. This trade is mostly driven by demand for ivory in parts of Asia.
What do poachers use ivory for?
Ivory poaching for tusks is the main reason that elephants have been so heavily hunted. Elephant ivory has been used in huge amounts to make billiards balls, piano keys, identification chops and many other items for human enjoyment.
Is poaching Still a Problem 2021?
Poaching is a global problem. Besides the destruction of natural habitat and climate change, it’s the next most significant threat to animals. Plenty of countries across the world have significant poaching problems. Most of them are found in central and southern Africa and South and Southeast Asia.
How can we stop poachers?
Extraordinary Ways to Stop Poaching
- Engage the public.
- Recruit more wildlife scouts.
- Make tougher laws.
- Give the animals a sanctuary.
- Zoning (Demarcate land for the wild animals)
- Put more trackers and sensors in the wild.
- Outlaw the purchase and sale of animal parts and products.