A herd of elephants is seen at Addo Elephant National Park outside Port Elizabeth in South Africa, File. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File PhotoThis, as a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has revealed that elephant poaching is on the decline. The reduction of cases has been linked to the closure of key domestic ivory markets which has significantly reduced demand.
Wild Africa Fund CEO and co-founder, Peter Knights says even though the conviction of high-level traffickers across Africa and Asia has limited the flow of illegal ivory, reporting wildlife crime and saying ‘NO’ to poaching must continue. “I wish we could pack up and go home with some of these issues but unfortunately the pressures persist. Where there’s money to be made, people will try and find various means to make that money. So it is encouraging that we’ve been doing the right thing and that there has been more awareness from consumers. If people want a product, it drives the demand but if the demand is reduced it has a negative impact.