Why are Africa's Elephants Still Threatened, Despite the Decline in Poaching?

African elephant

In 2014, Botswana implemented a ban on elephant poaching under the presidency of Ian Khama who is known for his conservationist fundamentals and a strong stand against poaching and trophy hunting. However, in 2018, when Mokgweetsi Masisi became president, he established a committee to reexamine the ban and as a result, the country's government overturned the ban allowing trophy hunting of elephants. The decision caused outrage among conservationists who have campaigned for preserving the ban. The news relates to a recent article published in the journal Nature Communications by a team of scientists from University of Freiburg, University of York, and the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). The study disclosed that the yearly mortality rate of elephants from poaching declined from an estimated 10 percent in 2011 to less than 4 percent in 2017. The researchers investigated data from 53 protected areas across 29 African countries between 2002 and 2017. They concluded that even though poaching of elephants has declined, the animals remain threatened, especially without a continuing action to clear up corruption, poverty, and diminish the demand for ivory. One of the authors of the article, Dr. Colin Beale from University of York's Biology Department, stated in order to guarantee the long-term survival of Africa's elephants, there is a necessity to diminish the demand of ivory in Asia and better the livelihood of people living with elephants. The authors also underlined that corruption and poverty are two variables that influence local poaching rates. The number of elephants has decreased by 62 percent over the last ten years and could be extinct by the end of the next decade. As of 2018, there are still more elephants being killed for ivory than being born.

Elephant in the Okavango Delta

I strongly believe that this recently published article should be taken into serious consideration by government bureaucrats, stakeholders, and general public not just in Botswana but in other parts of Africa. It highlights the correlation between poaching and the issues of poverty and corruption in Africa. Even though this article mentions that poaching of elephants has dropped significantly, it does not mean that the elephants are safe on the long-run. They are still under threat from the ivory demand in Asia and as a result, continue to fall victim to humans for their tusks and other body parts. Botswana's recent decision to lift the ban on elephant poaching and trophy hunting has further put the lives of these animals at risk. I think that even though trophy hunting of elephants in Botswana would guarantee income to local communities, it will not alleviate the human-elephant conflict in the country. The reason is because when trophy hunters go and hunt elephants in the country, they don't know and don't care if the elephant they are after turns out to be a matriarch. In their mindset, all that matters to them is the size of the elephant and the quality of its tusks which they would show off to their families and friends. If suppose an elephant that somehow fell victim to trophy hunting turns out to be a matriarch, there is a good chance that the herd which she was leading would disintegrate and all its members would aimlessly wander about often straying into human habitations bringing them into conflict with people. Furthermore, hunting of solitary bull elephants would hinder the possibility of breeding. This is why I strongly urge that non-lethal and effective measurements should be implemented to ensure that people and elephants coexist with one another peacefully. I also suggest that measurements to mitigate corruption and poverty across Africa should be conducted, since both of these variables influence poaching rates. Lastly, it is highly crucial to reduce the demand of ivory in Asia. All three of these steps combined can guarantee the long-term survival of Africa's elephants.

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