Elephant poaching decreases in Africa, but 15,000 people are still illegally killed each year

Although significant progress has been made at current poaching rates, elephants are still at risk of becoming extinct on the continent.

In 2011, the number of poaching victims on African elephants peaked with a mortality rate of 10% of the population. New research now shows that poaching rates have begun to decline; in 2017, the annual poaching mortality rate fell to less than four percent. But that is not enough.

Such a drop is certainly good news, but the incredible pachyderms are not over yet. The team says the continent's elephant population remains under threat without continuing to fight poverty, reduce corruption and reduce demand for ivory.

The study was conducted by an international group of scientists from the Universities of Freiburg, York and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). They note that there are still about 350,000 elephants in Africa, but it is sad to note that between 10,000 and 15,000 people are still killed each year by poachers.

"At the current rate of poaching, elephants risk being virtually erased from the continent, surviving only in small pockets very protected," said the University of York in a statement.

"We are witnessing a slowdown in poaching, which is obviously good news, but it remains above what we think is sustainable, so elephant populations are dwindling," said one of the authors of The study, Dr. Colin Beale, of the York University Department "Poaching rates appear to be mostly responsive to ivory prices in Southeast Asia and we can not hope to succeed without fight the demand in this region. "

"We need to reduce demand in Asia and improve the livelihoods of people living with elephants in Africa, the two biggest targets for long-term elephant survival," said Beale.

The researchers were unable to say how China's 2017 ban on ivory could have affected the numbers. Ivory prices began to fall before the ban, which may be due to the slowdown in the Chinese economy.

However, it is interesting to note that the rise in ivory prices does not appear to have an impact on demand, but "our results suggest that supply varies greatly," notes the study. Which is to say that the higher the price of ivory, the more poaching is important.

Poaching rates could be highest in the poorest regions, where financial temptations for illegal activities are relatively greater, write the authors. Noting that "this has generated interest in community conservation programs that seek to link conservation improvements directly to poverty reduction and there is evidence that this can reduce poaching rates at the local level."

So there are a number of factors at play, but it seems essential to reduce the demand for ivory while reducing the poverty that leads to poaching. The two together form a devastating symbiotic relationship for elephants. So much money and effort goes into the fight against poaching, which is obviously important, but it does not solve the problem at the root.

"After some changes in the political environment, the total number of elephants killed illegally in Africa seems to be decreasing, but to badess the possible protective measures, we need to understand the local and global processes at the origin from illegal hunting to the elephant, "said Severin Hauenstein. the University of Friborg.

As the authors conclude in the study:

"We suggest that improving law enforcement with the help of conventional methods in many areas could reduce elephant poaching, but reducing poverty and corruption in the developing world." communities adjacent to protected areas could have a greater effect and additional benefits. "

The study was published in Nature Communications.