African elephants could be extinct in the wild within a few decades, experts warned at a major conservation summit in Botswana that highlighted an alarming decline in numbers due to poaching for ivory.
The Africa Elephant Summit, held at a tourist resort in Kasane, gathered delegates from about 20 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia, including China – which is accused of fuelling the illegal poaching trade.
“This species could be extinct in our lifetime, within one or two decades, if the current trend continues,” Dune Ives, senior researcher at Vulcan, a philanthropic organization run by US billionaire Paul Allen, said.
“In five years we may have lost the opportunity to save this magnificent and iconic animal.”
The conference heard latest figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which reported that the African elephant population had dropped from 550,000 in 2006 to 470,000 in 2013.
East Africa has seen the worst decline, from 150,000 to about 100,000.
“The overall objective of this meeting is to secure commitments at the highest political level to effectively protect the elephants and significantly reduce the trends of killings of elephants,” said Elias Magosi, from the Botswanan environment ministry.
“The current killing rate is unsustainable and the population of African elephants is in danger.”
Elephant hunting is often organized by international criminal networks to supply the illegal ivory market, mainly in Asia, with some profits thought to fund regional conflicts and militants.
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring group, said ivory trading routes demonstrated the flow from Kenya and Tanzania to transit countries including Vietnam and Philippines, before going on final markets in China and Thailand.
Participants said that during a closed discussion at the conference, a Chinese delegate complained that the country was being unfairly targeted and should be considered an ally in fight to save the elephant.
The delegate said China funds anti-poaching efforts in Africa and is strengthening legislation.
The conference follows up a 2013 meeting when 30 countries adopted a set of urgent conservation measures, including a call to unite against poaching and for improved criminal prosecution.
PHOTO: A bull elephant foraging at the Ol Jogi sanctuary in Laikipia county, Kenya. Wildlife experts warn African elephants could be extinct in the wild within a few decades.
CREDIT: Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images.