Trafficking in Illegal Ivory.

Here in North America the spring flowers are up and the days are longer.  Warmth returns to the land, but in my Africa it is the reverse.  It's getting colder but the hunt for illegal traffickers in Elephant Ivory is heating up - and so it should. What wonderful animals these majestic beasts are and we need to do all we can for them. Well done to the Kenyan authorities.


Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Authorities have seized the tusks of 58 elephants — totaling one ton of ivory — after sniffer dogs led investigators to containers at the country's main airport that were bound for Nigeria, officials said Friday.

Joseph Ngisa, the officer in charge of criminal investigation in the country's airports, said no arrests had been made. It was not immediately clear why the ivory was being transported to the West African nation; the most common destination for smuggled ivory is Asia.

"We are suspecting they could be from here or neighboring countries and we are on their toes. We must get them. They have killed many, many elephants and we cannot allow this," said Eunice Kiheko, the police chief in charge of all airports.

In 2007, Kenya lost only 47 elephants to poaching, Omondi said. In 2008 — the year the sale took place— Kenya lost 145 elephants. In 2009, 271 elephants were killed and 187 were killed in 2010. Omondi said Kenya has already lost 87 elephants this year.

The shipment arrived in April, but Duong said officials discovered the tusks on Thursday. It was addressed to a company in northern Quang Ninh province. The company denied knowing the tusks were included in the shipment.

Vietnam is a common destination for illegal animal products, including African elephant tusks and rhino horns, which fetch large amounts for their perceived medicinal benefits. Last month, Thailand confiscated two tons of ivory valued at $3.3 million that had been shipped from Kenya.Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press.


There is a supply of legal ivory out there which is covered by 
CITES.  The legal ivory is collected from government culls where only the terminally sick are taken. Villages are given 
the meat from these culls and the Ivory, skins and hair are sold. The money made on these sales are reinvested in the national parks and used to hire guards to protect the animals from poaching.