African Elephant Tusks and Rhinoceros Horns
Date of Publication
1-1-2023 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Transnational Organized Crime
Keywords
Elephant poaching, ivory trafficking, population decrease, poaching data, TOC
Description
Elephant poaching in Africa is a significant issue, with data showing a strong decline in elephant populations between 2006 and 2015. Poaching accounts for a large portion of the elephants killed, with negative population trends observed in Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Mozambique, and parts of Kenya. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has noted negative population trends in these areas. The Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants (PIKE) scores can be used to identify poaching intensity, with low scores indicating more illicit ivory production. South African countries reported the highest share of poached elephants between 2010 and 2018, possibly due to large poaching levels but not causing a decline in population. Seizure records can provide estimates of trafficking patterns, but they are not reliable as they do not represent the volume of trafficking going on. The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) data shows an increase between 2007 and 2011-2013, but a decrease since then. The 2018 prices in China and Vietnam were similar to 2010, at about US$750 per kilogram, possibly due to heavier penalties by the Chinese government.
African Elephant Tusks and Rhinoceros Horns
Elephant poaching in Africa is a significant issue, with data showing a strong decline in elephant populations between 2006 and 2015. Poaching accounts for a large portion of the elephants killed, with negative population trends observed in Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Mozambique, and parts of Kenya. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has noted negative population trends in these areas. The Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants (PIKE) scores can be used to identify poaching intensity, with low scores indicating more illicit ivory production. South African countries reported the highest share of poached elephants between 2010 and 2018, possibly due to large poaching levels but not causing a decline in population. Seizure records can provide estimates of trafficking patterns, but they are not reliable as they do not represent the volume of trafficking going on. The Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) data shows an increase between 2007 and 2011-2013, but a decrease since then. The 2018 prices in China and Vietnam were similar to 2010, at about US$750 per kilogram, possibly due to heavier penalties by the Chinese government.
