Watch Where You Step!

Click here to listen to NPR's Weekend Edition about elephants!

"Imagine you're flying in a two-seater plane over Africa, and, in an effort to see how elephants are faring, your job is to count all the ones you see. Over the savannah, that's easy. But how do you peer into the forests, where all you see is treetops?

For years, the zoologists who tried to do this just guessed. But in the late 1980s, conservationist Richard Barnes devised a method to take an elephant census in the densest of forests.

To do this, he recruited young scientists. Winnie Kiiru had just finished grad school in biology and returned to her native Kenya. She was told to tie a piece of twine around her waist and walk through the forest in a straight line, with the twine trailing behind.

"And you'd walk in a straight line. It didn't matter whether there was a river, a ravine, stinging nettles, buffalo, whatever. You just kept going," Kiiru says.

Just to the north and just to the south of her were other young scientists also trailing their twine through the brush, literally slicing the forest into samples. What Kiiru and the others were counting was not elephants — they move around a lot and tend to hide — but rather, a different kind of evidence: poop.

The poop serves as a kind of clock, a way of tracking the elephants in space and time. It allowed Barnes to build a model of elephants' numbers and movement through the forest.

"You'd then ... figure out how old the dung pile was. So if it is completely fresh you'd give it an A. If it was slightly more decayed then you'd give it a B. You'd give it a C if you could actually see the dung beetles already — because dung beetles ... spread out the dung, so you'd see this one maybe has been there a little longer. So we graded the dung piles according to age," Kiiru says.

It wasn't only age but also other factors, like how much sunlight was there that could be making the dung decay faster or how much vegetation might be hiding other dung on the forest floor she couldn't see.

"It was so exciting because here were these huge animals — a lot of times you would walk through the forest, you didn't see them. You smelled them, but you didn't see them, and yet, you were so powerful you could actually count them or get a sense of how many they are," Kiiru says.

Think how exciting this was: Scientists since the time of Anton van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century have been looking into lenses to gaze at microscopic organisms. And yet up until this moment near the end of the 20th century, something as proverbially unmissable as an elephant was for all intents and purposes invisible in its natural habitat.

"In the forest you don't see them," Kiiru says. But counting the poop, they weren't so invisible.

"You knew they were there. Sometimes the dung was steaming! You knew that the elephant that dropped that poop was not very far," she says.

Kiiru is no longer walking through the forest, but other young scientists are. And those surveys have found that just in the past decade, 62 percent of Africa's forest elephants have died. Kiiru is now a doctor of biology and director of the group Conservation Kenya, trying to save those that are left. But she still gets goose bumps remembering her days as poll-taker in the forest.

"Sometimes you are walking through these really thick forests and you know what? You step one step out, and you're in this beautiful gladelike Sound of Music type of thing, and you're like, you have to stop and dance," she says."

~Gregory Warner

NPR News

May 11, 2013

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Fighting to Save Elephants and Rhinos

The populations of elephants and rhinos have decreased greatly in the past several generations due to poaching.  Since 1970, 95% of rhinos are gone, and 62% of elephants in the last decade.  

Click here to watch a great video that further explanes this article!

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy have lost six rhinos in the past month to poachers Photo: ITV News

First came the sound of gunshots late at night.

Then, a few hours later, a carcass was glimpsed - his bloodied face and mutilated body shielded by the long grass.

Before long, the stench of death was rising from what was now a crime scene.

The rangers at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy seemed almost unmoved. But they have seen it, heard it and smelt it too many times before.

Once again, this 60,000-acre park, home to one in eight of Kenya’s rhinos, had been struck by an armed gang.

Despite the helicopters, the dog handlers, the electric fencing and the hiring of a former British Army captain as chief executive, Lewa has struggled against the poachers, losing six rhinos over a four week period earlier this year.

It is a problem for parks across Africa, where some populations of rhino and elephant face extinction within decades. Gruesome killings, like the slaughter of a family of 12 elephants in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park last January, have caused shock but brought no solutions.

Watch: The worst elephant poaching incident in Kenya's history

At least Lewa has a powerful supporter: This is where Prince William spent much of his gap year. It is where he proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010.

And it is here that he found another love, for the precious species that are under threat from the trade in ivory and rhino horn.

On Tuesday, William will challenge African ‘producer’ countries and Asian ‘consumer’ countries to end the slaughter. But what are the chances of real solutions?

The words of a prince will mean little to the paupers who stalk the parks of Africa in search of a rhino horn which may be worth 30,000 pounds, more than its weight in gold.

Perhaps stiffer sentences in African countries will, but campaigners say that some are resisting pressure to punish those involved in the trade.

Read: Charities say ivory talks 'missing a big opportunity'

Then there's the question of how the meeting dignitaries can succeed where others have failed before, in choking demand in the Far East, where horns and tusks are said to have medicinal value?

Campaigners welcome the fact that the issue is being talked about at all, and they accept that solutions will take time.

But for the majestic creatures that roam Lewa, there may be little of that.

Read: No end to ivory poaching in sight as CITES ends!

~Rohit Kachroo

May 17, 2013

ITV News

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Ranger Steve’s Nature Niche

What do wolves, rhinos, and elephants have to do with each other?  Answer: they are all extremely endangered species, and are being threatened.  The article below dives deeper into the reasons why the populations of these animals is decreasing.   

Wildlife has made headlines for three species this week. Rhinoceros populations have been eliminated from a wildlife preserve by illegal poaching because people want horns for aphrodisiacs. Elephant populations in parts of Africa have been reduced 50 percent by poaching for ivory. Wolves in the United States are posed to lose protected status across the U.S., including Michigan.

Many know that wolf protection on public lands in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem was already removed outside the national park. The wolf population suffered greatly as a result. Yellowstone National Park’s signature pack that was radio-collared and studied for years was killed because the park is too small and wolves must also use the surrounding national forest. An important wolf food is elk. The elk population during the 20th century grew excessively because of wolf elimination in the early 1900s. It reduced biodiversity and the natural checks and balances. Too many elk removed vegetation that supported many other animal species.

Wolf established in the Yellowstone during the 1990s reduced the elk population and it allowed species like beavers to repopulate because aspen grew. Beaver activity created wetlands and other animal species were able to reestablish. When wolves have the opportunity, they kill and eat beavers and other animals. That also keeps those species from becoming too abundant.

What naturally keeps a wolf population from becoming excessively large? Primarily it is food availability. When hunting is poor, wolves die and prey populations’ recover. Many people would like to see all species live without difficulty or death. This is not realistic in the physical world. Human religious views supports this idea so we look forward to life after death with no limitations on longevity and no need for food, water, shelter, or living space after physical death.

In the physical world we do not have that luxury. As human population expands into habitats of other species, they get crowded off the planet. “Creation Care” in religious circles is an effort where people are encouraged to care for all species in creation by maintaining yards with native plants to support native animals (our personal Arks) or to limit our family size so we do not destroy creation with human excessive population. Sociologically, it is socially responsible to keep all species important for maintaining healthy ecosystems essential for best functioning of the social-economic-industrial complex. In economics, it is protecting livelihoods by not losing inherent assets important to the land that supports us. That means soil, water, air, and the role of each for stable global life and food for our tables.

Sustainability has a triple bottom line that is Social, Environmental, and Economic.

So, why would society allow rhinos, elephants, and wolves to be reduced to numbers too small to carry out ecological roles? First we do not know the tremendous economic role of each species and the ecological services provided. We do not realize the financial costs to replicate nature’s services. One example is the role of elephants in creating water holes by sloshing about and enlarging them. That is an essential activity that allows many bird, mammal, amphibian, and invertebrate species to survive in Africa that would not otherwise find adequate bodies of water. Another reason is unfounded fear.

Where I lived out west, ranchers took cattle to the national forest and left them for the summer unattended on public land and returned in the fall to get them. If wolves are allowed to roam, it means domestic livestock would need monitoring. Out west public lands are used for both wildlife and domestic animals. Some people do not want predators sharing pubic lands and some do not want unattended domestic animals in public wild lands. Here in Michigan we keep livestock on our own land. Ask yourself, “Do you think rhinos and elephants should be protected in India and Africa but wolves should not have protection here?” The difficult challenge is how to live in a manner that shares neighborhood nature niches with other species endowed to us in creation.

~By Ranger Steve Mueller

The Post

May 16, 2013

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Elephants in Jeopardy in CAR

So sad!

We all stood silently for many hours as we watched dozens of African forest elephants carry on during a beautiful uninterrupted day while in the Central African Republic. That was in January. Now, the world has learned these past few weeks that elephants in CAR are being slaughtered as the country faces a violence-ridden power struggle.

Recent reports from the field indicate criminals have overtaken Dzanga Bai and are shooting elephants, possibly even from the viewing stand where scientists are customarily stationed to protect the elephants. WCS and WWF staff evacuated at the end of April as the violence began escalating. It is clear that without conservationists in the area the elephants have no chance.

One of the most important remaining populations of African forest elephants lives in and around Dzanga Bai. To the criminals, killing elephants and selling their tusks funds even more violence. WCS stands with our conservation partner WWF, calling for immediate action to stop the killing of these elephants. CAR's acting head of state, Michel Djotodia, can help play a leadership role to protect this precious wildlife for the global community in this World Heritage Site.

We can't let the current violence wipe out these elephants that have been protected through many years by dedicated staff through the harshest conditions.

Up to 35,000 elephants are killed in Africa each year for their ivory tusks, which are in great demand in Asia. And recently we reported that over the past 10 years, criminals have slaughtered 62 percent of the forest elephants in central Africa.

In my travels to CAR, I saw first-hand the severity of the danger facing both elephants and the heroic rangers who protect them.

In over two decades working in CAR, WCS, in close partnership with WWF, has led the monitoring and research of the elephants of Dzanga Bai. At this forest clearing, which attracts elephants from across central Africa, WCS conservation scientist Andrea Turkalo has dedicated herself to studying forest elephant language and social relationships.

WCS, likewise, works immediately across the border in the Republic of Congo to protect the same population of elephants. Support from the Congo government has provided additional security in that area.

While I stood silently watching the elephants of CAR on a recent expedition, the world cannot be silent as these elephants are wiped out by marauders. I know WCS and WWF are both determined to return to CAR to continue working to conserve its incredible elephants.

~Dr. Cristián Samper

The Huff Post Green

May 14, 2013

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Elephants- Agony and Ivory

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WWF's Success Stories

Some great and inspiring stories about elephants, turtles, polar bears, and Coca-Cola!  

Click here for many, many stories from WWF!

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At Least 26 Elephants are Slaughtered in Central Africa

An earlier image from Dzanga Bai, or “village of elephants” 

May 10, 2013 - At least 26 elephants were massacred in the Dzanga Bai World Heritage Site in the Central African Republic (CAR) after 17 heavily armed suspected poachers entered the site on Monday, May 6th. WWF sources working in the area reported on Thursday that they had counted at least 26 elephant carcasses in and around the Bai, or “village of elephants.” Since the poachers arrived no elephants have been seen at the Bai, which was described as an “elephant mortuary” the sources added.

~WWF

May 10, 2013

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Now Listen, Friends!

Remember what originally made me start this blog?  The National Geographic "Blood Ivory" article.  And now, you can listen to it!  

Click here to listen!

P.S. It's the 10th podcast down, and you can download it for free on iTunes!

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Saving Elephants - 10 Ways in 100 Days

Kenya's president  Uhuru Kenyatta, made a great point.  People of the world need to act just as much as governments do.  We simply cannot just sit here and wait.  

“My fellow Kenyans, poaching and the destruction of our environment has no future in this country. The responsibility to protect our environment belongs not just to the Government, but to each and every one of us”. - President Uhuru Kenyatta

The 1989 ivory burning by Kenya is undisputedly the most powerful conservation symbol the world has ever seen and led to the successful international ban on trade in ivory. Despite the challenge that we are currently facing, Kenya now stands at the nexus of being an agent for change: historically, geographically technically, and now, politically.

In a recent article in this newspaper, I contrasted the words of Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya to the actions I witnessed in a court of law in which a Vietnamese ivory trafficker was fined less than one per cent of the value of the ivory he was smuggling. One week later, a Chinese man facing similar charges met the same fine.

Attending court was a horrifying experience – I witnessed firsthand the self confessed criminals responsible for the destruction of Africa’s majestic wildlife being set free to continue their deadly trade.

My article was aimed at provoking readers to cross the threshold of the security and comfort of their homes and jobs, and accompany me into grimy underworld of wildlife crime.

I described the pain of sitting for hours on a hard wooden bench in unventilated heaving courtrooms and the relief when our case was announced after an hour in which our file could not be found. I wanted readers to become the despirted law enforcement agents who repeatedly witness their work coming to naught as wildlife criminals are hastily dispensed of by dispassionate magistrates, and unleashed back onto the streets.

It occurred to me that day how incredulous it is that the government of Kenya has makes such enormous investments in anti-poaching and customs controls; thousands of armed rangers, sniffer dogs at ports, vehicles, aircraft and helicopters, when the penalty for wildlife crime is less than a slap on the wrist.

Thanks to greater media coverage, Kenyans are now aware that our elephants are under greater pressure than in the last 20 years, and our populations are now declining. It is time to wake up to the fact that it is not just our elephants that we are losing; Kenya is also enabling the slaughter of elephants across Africa by virtue of the ease with which ivory is trafficked across our borders.

Like it or not, Kenya is now at the center of illegal ivory trafficking worldwide.

Since 2009 Kenya and Tanzania have rapidly ascended to become the two most prominent countries connecting African ivory with Asian demand. In 2009, Kenya was merely an “emerging force” due to two large shipments of Central African ivory passing through Mombasa. Since then Kenya become a primary conduit for large shipments of ivory to be reported to Asia.

“The Eastern African sub region has consolidated its position as the primary exit point for illicit ivory leaving the African continent, with Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania as prominent countries of origin and export in the trade constituting at least 64 per cent of the total volume of ivory seized in these transactions. During that period, Kenya accounted for over 21.6 tonnes of ivory in volumes of 500 kg or more,” says Tom Milliken of TRAFFIC.

“The African Elephant is facing the greatest crisis in decades. Reports of mass elephant killings in the media vividly illustrate the situation across many African range states …In some areas the elephant may soon disappear unless urgent action is taken,” says Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP.

Kenya’s positioning at CITES compared to her actions at home have been described as story like A Tale of Two Cities.

“On the one hand, within the CITES arena, Kenya is ardently passionate about elephant protection and speaks out at every opportunity, on the other hand the ETIS trade data seemingly show unfettered flows of large volumes of ivory leaving Kenya from Mombasa in particular for Asia, over 21.6 tonnes of ivory between 2009 and 2011 in cases of 500 kg or more” says a frustrated Tom Milliken.

Kenya’s prominent role in ivory trafficking is a major shift in African trade routes and the scale of these consignments suggest the handiwork of organized criminal syndicates, and few believe that they could operate without some degree of political protection.

Kenya cannot afford to lose any more time. Members of The Kenya Elephant Forum have devised a plan for Uhuru Kenyatta and the Government of Kenya called Saving Elephants - 10 Ways in 100 Days.

The real cost to Kenya

While many Kenyans can grasp the economic impact of the loss of tourism associated with elephants, consider that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

• Environmental and conservation loss includes the disappearance of key species.

• There will be economic loss of revenues from reduced taxes, fees, tourism earnings, jobs.

• Protection costs will increase due to heightened security and indirect due to environmental degradation. Resources will be diverted from other conservation priorities.

• There will be reduction in economic growth, livelihood options and economic potential at local and national level.

• Insecurity will increase because of armed nature of poachers and financing of criminal groups. Communities in particular are being attacked by and coerced into criminal activities by violent armed gangs.

• Transnational organised crime networks similar to drug cartels will become entrenched in Kenya.

• The organised nature of poaching, and associated corruption diminishes Kenya’s attractiveness for foreign investors, particularly in tourism and nature based businesses.
• 
  

Why we must act now

Kenya has traditionally been a leading voice on the world stage in the conservation arena through tourism, collaboration with international agreements, branding, partnerships with the NGO and scientific communities, and documentaries which have shown the world “Magical Kenya.”

Our national wildlife enforcement agency, the Kenya Wildlife Service, is respected worldwide for wildlife enforcement. Kenya is home to the world’s longest running research on elephants, and headquarters for most of the greatest experts on this species including, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Save the Elephants, Ifaw, IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group, Space for Giants, WWF, WildlifeDirect, Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE)/Unep, amongst others.

Despite Kenya’s historical role, the gains of the past, and the increased investment in anti-poaching, we are still losing ground. And Kenya is not alone. Most African countries are unable to respond adequately. All have acknowledged the need for a global response and trans-boundary collaboration. Kenya can be the model for pan-African application.

What we must do

We propose a simple and definitive action plan, 10 Ways In 100 Days to restore Kenya to her prestigious position on the front line in combating the rampant poaching and trafficking taking place across Africa, and regain her worldwide reputation as the premier wildlife conservation and tourism destination.

The ten point plan covers the following key areas; Compliance with existing local and international laws and agreements , enhanced law enforcement, Improved governance and legislation, public accountability to Kenyans and the international community, outreach and communication to raise local and global awareness, create understanding of the crisis and to enlist support from all sectors of society in halting the crisis facing elephants.

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya can take on a pre-eminent and progressive role as the saviour of this iconic species which will have an immediate positive impact on the conservation of all other species. We ask His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya to adopt the following 10 point plan

SAVING ELEPHANTS 10 WAYS IN 100 DAYS

1. Task the National Council on Administration of Justice to take on wildlife crime as a priority and develop Standard Operating Procedures to robustly prosecute cases and appeal lenient sentences.

2. Identify wildlife crime hotspots and request the Chief Justice to assign a dedicated judge in each of the conservation areas. Together with the Attorney General, CJ and DPP, seek agreement to take judicial notice that poaching offences are 'organised criminal activities’, and support the DPP with adequate capacity to prosecute these crimes under the full range of laws.

3. Announce a crackdown on corruption within relevant government agencies involved in protecting wildlife, transport and export of wildlife products.

4. Fast track amendment under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act to address penalties.

5. Enhance enforcement capacity in government agencies, private/community conservation areas, and KWS; increase sniffer dogs and scanners in transit areas, airports and seaports; provide wildlife crime hotlines for public involvement; give rewards for intelligence leading to conviction..

6. Adopt an ivory crisis outreach campaign to educate a broad range of local stakeholders, including customs, KRA, transporters, judiciary, air and seaports, general public, targeted communities.

7. In partnership with international agencies, initiate a diplomatic campaign with range, transit and consumer states to formulate mitigation strategies including intelligence, information sharing, education, reducing demand and banning domestic markets.

8.In partnership with leading experts, produce elephant and rhino status reports, and a study which determines the impact of poaching to the economy of Kenya.

9. Take a leadership role in developing Africa’s first comprehensive ivory inventory and audit system in collaboration with key partners and global accounting firms.

10. Scale up engagement with regional and global enforcement agencies in order to crack down on key cartels. These include LATIF and the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime comprising UNODC, CITES, Interpol, WCO and World Bank.

Kenya stands at the nexus of being the world’s role model for leadership in endangered species protection

If we take on this opportunity, Kenya will create a bold vision for a worldwide response to save elephants across Africa. Kenya will be at the forefront of developing effective models and best practices for conservation that are applicable for all species and other countries. Once again, Kenya will be an innovator, on the cutting edge of management, research, assessment and information sharing.

And, Kenya will restore confidence in the ability of African nations to respond effectively to challenges through compliance, enforcement and legislation. We believe that President Kenyatta can reinstate Kenya as the world’s role model for leadership in endangered species protection.

Responding to pressure from conservationists and the tourism industry, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keriako Tobiko, went on record last week decrying the escalating cases of wildlife crime and calling for the judiciary to overhaul of laws and impose stiffer penalties on offenders.

He stated that he recognises the linkage between transnational organized crimes and wildlife crimes and confirmed is already working on dealing with those crimes under the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act and under the Anti Money laundering legislation. Tobiko said that the KWS must be supported by other government agencies in dealing with the crisis, and said that his office had set up a special unit to deal with wildlife crime.

Already two cases have shown the seriousness with prosecutions are now being handled – in the case of a young man caught at Galleria with ivory, his bail was set at a record 2 million with sureties and bonds at 5 million each, while bail for five men in Nanyuki, suspected to be members of a gang that killed a rhino at Il Ingwewsi, was set at one million each. The tide is finally turning and the dark days of impunity amongst poachers and dealers are closing."

~Paula Kahumbu

The Star

May 7, 2013

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