Leticia Rivera
English 21003
Prof Matyakubova
Dec 8th, 2016
Abstract
A dramatic decrease of elephant creates
concern, as the Ivory trade continues to rave in Africa. Since the ivory trade threatens the future of African elephants, it is
important to indicate why elephants need to be saved, who should save them and
how to they can be saved.
Elephants need to be saved is because they
are important to the African savannah and play a distinct role in the survival
of other animals. Additionally, the rate of
elephant population growth is gradual and will require decades of recovery from
poaching, which is why they need to be saved. Saving elephants have become a major task for some wildlife
organizations around the world. Spreading the word about the dangers elephants face can
assist in demand reduction of ivory throughout the world.
Poaching
Gone Wrong:
The
impact of the Ivory Trade and the Pursuit to Save Elephants
Every
child in the process of learning the names of animals is always taught to learn
the word elephant. What if one day books, and parents no longer teach children
the animal elephant, because they are extinct. On
average, an elephant is killed every 15 minutes (Nast). Elephants are
traditionally recognized to come from Africa and Asia. In the wild, an elephant
can live between 50 - 70 years. The word “elephant” can be traced back to
ancient times, and the meaning of the word is ivory. They enjoy swimming, and
also drink a great deal of water. In fact, an elephant can drink almost 15
quarts (14 liters) at one time. Their diet consists of eating an assortment of
plants. They search for food nearly 16 hours each day, and can eat between 300
- 600 pounds of food each day. Their tusk can grow to an impressive length of
10 feet, and weigh nearly 200 pounds (Davidson 30). In 1800, around 26 million
elephants are estimates too have roamed Africa (Larson).
The ivory trade has put African elephant
populations at risk.
In the
early 1900’s shooting an elephant in the safari was the height of manliness for
the wealthy westerners. Mass productions of combs, brush handles, pool balls
and piano keys was fueling in ivory frenzy. By 1913, the United States was
consuming 200 tons of ivory per year and African elephants have dropped to an
estimated 10 million. World appetite for ivory continue to decimate elephant
herds until by 1979 only 1.3 million were left. Even as many westerners
realized the consequence of the trade, Asian demand picked up. By 1989,
elephants numbered only six hundred thousand. A worldwide ban on ivory sales in
1989 led to a rebound in the population, to about a million. But in 1999 and
2008, due to pressure from countries in Asia and southern Africa, the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) allowed two
sanctioned sales of ivory (Larson). In spite of the international trade ban,
illegal trade continues. Elephant poaching is a
significant problem in many parts of Africa. Since the
ivory trade threatens the
future of African elephants, it is important to indicate why elephants need to
be saved, who should save them and how to they can be saved.
An
initial reason why elephants need to be saved is because they are important to
the African savannah and play a distinct role in the growth of grasses, and
trees. There are some parts of the savannah that receive little to no rain per
year, whereas there are other parts of the savannah that receives high levels
of rain. As Rudi J Van Aarde states in a booklet Elephant Facts and Fables,
elephants “often dominate the herbivore guild in savannahs and consequently
play a major role in modifying the structure and function of these landscapes.
Their feeding on trees alters canopy shape as well as the survival of saplings
[(a young tree)] and adult trees, thereby ensuring micro-scale environmental
conditions that allow grasses and trees to co-exist. These changes and the
absence of elephants may favour bush encroachment. This may disadvantage
herbivores that feed on sun-loving grasses and sedges”. Since elephants are
involved in the continued pathways of food for other herbivores other than
themselves, they play an important part of savannahs.
In
addition to contributing to the food source for other animals, these mammals
also play a role in obtaining water during a rough time of the year in the
savannah. The dry season in the savannah can last from three to nine months.
Therefore, during the dry season, elephants use
their tusks to dig for water. This not only allows the elephants to survive in
dry environments and when droughts strike, but also provides water for
other animals that share harsh habitats (Save the Elephants). No matter
the size of any animal, food and water is a substantial possession for
survival. Elephants provide the opportunity for smaller animals and plants to
survive.
Additionally, the rate of elephant population growth is
gradual and will require decades of recovery from poaching, which is why they
need to be saved. During a study on elephant birth rates, Andrea K. Turkalo,
Peter H. Wrege, and George Wittemyer gathered relevant results such as the following:
Using 23 years of
individually based demographic data from Dzanga, Central African Republic, we
found low reproductive potential resulting from annual birth rates averaging
4·3% (SD: 1·4%), a median inter-birth interval of 68 months and a median primiparous
age of 23 years. Average mortality was 3·1% per year (SD: 1·0%) during the
study, with approximately 1·4% of that attributed to human killing (1).
This study manifests the failing of population growth of
elephants as a result of the ivory trade. A female elephant has a gestation
period of nearly two years and are ready to breed when they are about 14 - 15
years of age. These mammals are large in size, which in relation to the
development of the baby elephant, the growth requires a lot of time. Under
ideal conditions, a female elephant can produce an average of 12 calves over an
ideal lifetime of 60 years, but not all calves survive to reproduce (Van Aarde
23). The findings in connection to the population growth of elephants
highlights the need to stop the ivory trade and demand protective action.
Alongside
the previous reasons to save elephants from the ivory trade, elephants are
brutally killed for their ivory, and their population has decreased
drastically. Prior to European colonization,
scientists believe that Africa may have held as many as 20 million elephants;
by 1979 only 1.3 million remained (Mckenzie and Formanek). An elephant ecologist,
Mike Chase is the founder of Elephants Without Borders (EWB), and the lead
scientist of the Great Elephant
Census (GEC), which is a
task to count the population of elephants in the entire African continent. He
concluded (see table 1) that in the current year of 2016, there are 352,000
elephants in the African Savannah. Based on his research, he projects that
there would be a future population of 160,000 elephants in the year 2025.
Cable News Network (CNN) journalists David
Mckenzie and Ingrid Formanek reports drastic
details in the words of Mike Chase, of a horrific moment while visiting the
Linyanti Swamp in Botswana. Chase openly describes his thoughts on dead
elephants while scoping lands where elephants live. He claims “I don't
think anybody in the world has seen the number of dead elephants that I've seen
over the last two years […] we spot an elephant lying on its side in the
cracked river mud. But the acrid stench of death hits us before we even
land. Up close, it is a horror” (Mckenzie & Formenek) Chase’s words clarifies
that there are no myths on how elephants look after a poaching attack. The view
can be devastating, and can negatively affect people who are fond of animals 
such
as himself.
Image
1 is from Cable News Network (CNN), which illustrates Mike Chase, an
elephant ecologist overlooking a dead elephant laid to it’s side with the face
hacked off. The background of the image shows a wildlife setting, and the
discovery of the dead mammal was during the day, which allowed an easy
distinction from this mammal being dead or sleeping. This image illustrates the
explicit reality of what African elephants experience.
Government
officials usually predominate and may enforce by
the imposition of penalties, in order to save elephants from the ivory trade. Benard
starr, a psychologist, college professor and a journalist, discusses in an
article, on the involvement of governments in the destruction of ivory.
Governments
are increasingly embracing this approach. In 2012 a Philadelphia dealer in
African art was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $150,000
for smuggling in more than a ton of African ivory. In a get-tough initiative in
2013, China handed out three to fifteen-year prison sentences to at least
twenty individuals involved in the illegal ivory market. In 2014, a Chinese
antiques dealer was given a seventy-month prison sentence for smuggling
rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory artifacts into China from the U.S. In its
boldest action China sentenced 37 ivory smugglers to life terms.
In
order for any drastic changes to occur in stopping ivory trade, the government
in Africa and as well as any other country involved should be essentially
included. To protect elephants, a New York State bill signed by
Governor Andrew Cuomo on World Elephant day, August 12, 2014, bans the sale of
ivory with few exceptions. Stringent proof will be required for allowing the
sale of ivory that is one hundred years old or older (Starr). On July 6, 2016, a near-total ban on commercial trade
in African elephant ivory went into effect in the United States. The
information on the webpage is intended to provide guidance for those who wish
to buy, sell, or otherwise trade in elephant ivory (U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service - International Affairs). The United States comprehends the dilemma
in elephant population and the disturbing behavior of ivory poachers.
Therefore, government officials should continue to propel a change for the elephant’s
future and fight against extinction.
Saving elephants have become a major task for some wildlife
organizations around the world. International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
is a good example of where to go if someone is interested in the action of conserving elephants. IFAW declares in a
booklet of facts on elephants, “IFAW […] works to improve the welfare of
wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial
exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in
distress. IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and
to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the wellbeing
of [...] animals [...]” (Van Aarde 5). Wildlife conservation organizations work
to stop the illegal poaching and trade of elephant ivory, protect wild elephant
habitat and build natural sanctuaries for elephants to live freely. Supporting
actively committed conservation efforts will have a positive impact on elephant
preservation.
Leonardo
DiCaprio is known as an American actor, film
producer, and is the founder of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. In 1998, he established his foundation to work on the
most pressing environmental issues. This foundation works closely with
conservation groups such as Save the Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation
Network. The collaboration is to address the elephant ivory crisis by directing
to anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and demand reduction.
Spreading the word about the
dangers elephants face can assist in demand reduction of ivory throughout the
world. In order to reduce demand for wildlife parts and products, which fuels
illegal poaching and trafficking activities, International Fund for Animal
Welfare (IFAW) conducts behavior change communication campaigns in countries
that consume ivory. Through public outreach, IFAW educates consumers about the
cruelty, conservation impact and illegality of wildlife trade. IFAW conducted a
study in 2011 of an ivory demand reduction campaign in China, and resulted in
effective reduction in purchases of ivory (International Fund for Animal
Welfare). The beginning step in demand reduction as a consumer is to not buy
ivory or other wildlife products. Be an elephant aware consumer.
On the contrary, the ivory
market is thriving, regardless of the ban that prohibits the sale of ivory from
elephants killed after 1989. The low – to middle – income young people in the
United States and Asian countries see ivory jewelry and carvings as a status
symbol (Morell). This demand is the reason why poachers are killing thousands
of elephants a year, at an unsustainable rate. According to International Fund
for Animal Welfare, An IFAW survey in China
found that 70% of Chinese don’t know ivory comes from dead elephants. Many
consumer of wildlife products are unaware of the cruelty actions of the ivory
trade. When
economic prosperity is high and people have little understanding of
biodiversity, ivory markets flourish, therefore, demand reduction and educating
consumers are important.
Although the ivory trade has been occurring
for decades, it now threatens the future of African
elephants, it is important to indicate why elephants need to be saved, who
should save them and how to they can be saved. An important consideration for
the future of elephants is to educate the young population about the
consequences of poaching. The young population are the key to a better future
for animals.
Works
Cited
"All Wildlife (including Parts and Products) Imported
into or Exported from the United States
for Any Purpose Must Be
Declared to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law
Enforcement." U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - International Affairs.
N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
Davidson,
John. Elephants for Kids - Amazing Animal Books for Young Readers. N.p.:
JD-Biz, 2013. Print.
"Defending Ivindo National Park - Leonardo DiCaprio
Foundation." Leonardo DiCaprio
Foundation. N.p., 2015. Web. 09 Dec.
2016.
Larson,
Elaine. The History of the Ivory Trade. National Geographic Society. 25
Feb.2013. National Geographic Society.
<http://nationalgeographic.org/media/history-ivory-trade/>.
Mckenzie, David, and Ingrid Formanek. “Study
Shows Tragic Drop in African
Elephants.”
CNN. Cable News Network, 1 Sept. 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. <http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/31/africa/great-elephant-census/>.
Morell, Virginia.
"Recently Killed Elephants Are Fueling the Ivory Trade." Science |
AAAS.
N.p., 2016. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
Nast, Phil. "The African Elephant and
The Ivory Trade." NEA. National Education
Association,
n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
"Reducing Demand for
Wildlife Products." IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare.
N.p.,
n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
Rudi J
Van Aarde. Elephants Facts and Fables. Southern Africa: Rudi J Van
Aarde, n.d. PDF.
Starr,
Bernad. “Destroying Ivory to save Elephants: Is It Working?” The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 June 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Turkalo, Andrea K., Peter H. Wrege, and
George Wittemyer. "Slow Intrinsic Growth Rate
in
Forest Elephants Indicates Recovery from Poaching Will Require Decades."
Journal
of Applied Ecology (2016): 1-7. Web.
“Why
Elephants Are Important - Save the Elephants.” Save the Elephants. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
<http://savetheelephants.org/about-elephants-2-3/importance-of-elephants/>.
