Thread: Ivory

Originally Posted by BobH

Somehow reading WWF - Threats to African elephants I do not get the feeling that illegal poaching of elephants is the least of the threats to the decline in elephant populations in Africa. My take away is that it still is a great concern along with other factors such as the encroachment of people in traditional elephant range spawning conflict between the two and for bush meat.

Bob

I wouldn't believe what I read in many of the news groups if they said the sky was blue ....... without looking out the window and seeing for myself. The politicians will lie and the media will swear to it.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I wouldn't believe what I read in many of the news groups if they said the sky was blue ....... without looking out the window and seeing for myself. The politicians will lie and the media will swear to it.

I believe it may be the same news group as Glen referred to.

Bob

From WWF Global website:

While the illegal trade in ivory remains a real threat, current concern for the survival of the African elephant centres around the reduction of their habitat.

Largely unprotected range
Most elephant range still extends outside protected areas, and the rapid growth of human populations and the extension of agriculture into rangelands and forests formerly considered unsuitable for farming mean that large areas are now permanently off-limits for elephants.

Increasing conflict with people
As habitats contract and human populations expand, people and elephants are increasingly coming into contact with each other. Where farms border elephant habitat or cross elephant migration corridors, damage to crops and villages can become commonplace, providing a source of conflict which the elephants invariably lose.

Inevitably, loss of life sometimes occurs on both sides, as people get trampled while trying to protect their livelihood, and "problem" elephants get shot by game guards.

As human populations continue to grow throughout the elephants' range, habitat loss and degradation are expected to become the major threats to elephants survival.

Originally Posted by WJF

From WWF Global website:

As human populations continue to grow throughout the elephants' range, habitat loss and degradation are expected to become the major threats to elephants survival.

Yea, that is correct. The key words are "expected to become" as in the future but is not in the present. Having threats other than the illegal ivory trade does not diminish the threat that the illegal ivory trade represents to the survival of elephants.

Bob