Elephants and the Ivory Trade

RESEARCH ON ELEPHANTS AND THE IVORY TRADE

Elephants are what is known as a keystone species of the African Savannah. This means their impact on their environment helps benefit and maintain the balance of their surrounding ecosystem. Because they knock over and uproot small trees and shrubs before they are able to grow to full size, they help maintain the Savannah itself, and allowing the many species of grass to flourish, which in turn feed Africa's multitude of grazing animals. They also dig waterholes and create large openings in the forest and brush, and generally intervene with the Savannah landscape, allowing smaller species to access water and food which would otherwise be unattainable. Their manure also acts as an excellent fertilizer, nutrient rich food source for many smaller African creatures and a vehicle for seed dispersal across wide ranges, with some plants specifically not germinating unless they have passed through an Elephant first. In areas where populations of elephants are lost, the micro-ecosystems maintained by these elephants go into habitat chaos, with the diversity and structure of the ecosystem becoming increasingly unstable.

 As of 2017 there are still more African elephants being killed for their ivory than born every year. In a recent study by CITES (Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species) data from every illegally killed Elephant carcass across 60 sites in Africa was compiled. These 60 sites were believed to house between them just 30-40% of the entire elephant population in Africa and were picked up due to being in ranger patrolled areas, therefore it is probable to believe a great deal more incidents went undetected in unprotected areas. Although the statistics rely heavily on averages and calculation to deduct their results, they do provide some concept of the fluctations in illegal elephant poachings over time, exposing a growth in incidences between 2006 -2011. After this, rates leveled off, and thanks to increased efforts a slight downward trend was visable by 2015, although even in 2016 numbers were still high.

However there is hope. In an unprecidented show of commitment at the end of last year, China announced it was going to end it's legal trade in ivory by the end of 2017. Conservation charities called the pledge 'historic' and a 'game changer', with China currently accounting for up to 70% of the world's legal trade in ivory. With the official closure of China's legal ivory processing factories in March of this year, and the entire cessation of the markets by the end of, the wholesale price of ivory has already taken losses of over a $1000/per kg. This is great news for the most part, as it means that legal markets around the world are selling up their stocks of ivory and ceasing their demand for more, however there are some fears this could drive ivory into the black market, and produce a new demand, allowing illegal dealers to set their own prices and potentially reap the profits. This is where maintained vigilence and proactive education in local communities comes into effect, alongside finding ways to ease competition over habitat space between human and elephant populations, allowing both to coexist at a peaceful distance. It may not be the end of a long and rocky road for the elephants, but it is definitely taking steps in the right direction.