Africa’s elephants ‘facing extinction’
4th August 2008
A conservationist has warned that African elephants could face extinction in the wild by 2020 following a resurgence in poaching.
Dr Samuel Wasser, of the University of Washington, says that the current rate of illegal elephant deaths is now higher than it was before the ivory trade was banned.
The total African elephant population in the 1980s was estimated to be around one million. There are now said to be fewer than 470,000 elephants in the wild.
The illegal ivory trade is reportedly booming again with increased demand from China, Japan and the US. There are claims that the ban is not being enforced strictly enough in many African countries.
DNA analysis of illegal ivory that has been seized by authorities shows that the same elephant herds are being targeted.
Dr Wasser is calling for greater public awareness of the elephants’ plight: “It's very serious because elephants are an incredibly important species.
“They keep habitats open so other species that depend on such ecosystems can use them. Without elephants there will be major habitat changes, with negative effects on the many species that depend on the lost habitat.”