This article is completed inspired by my friend Victoria, who is currently studying abroad in Tanzania, Africa. Through out the week, I see her photos pop up with beautiful grasslands and exotic animals which in reality makes me very jealous!
So as I was wandering the internet news for something interesting to write about, I found an article on the Ivory trade.
For those who are unaware, ivory is a material that comes from the tusks of animals such as rhinos and elephants (which Victoria happens to be working with). It is a popular material usually used for aesthetic purposes such as jewelry and statues.
Ironic isn't it? ^
Even though there has been a general distaste against poachers and regulations for the safety of the species, the trade has enforced through the black market. For example, let's take Tanzania:
According to this graph, within 38 years, 272,779 elephants have been killed. The average lifespan of an elephant in africa is anywhere from 60-70 years. Taking the minimum end of that range, elephants born in 1954 (making them 60 in 2014) should be at the latter end of their lives. If populations were table the number should be around the 1976 levels.
Okay so people use elephants as a resource and now domestic ivory trading is banned so shouldn't everything be fine?
Hopefully.
However, the gestation period for elephants is about 22 months and they are a K-selective species. This means that over the course of their lifetimes the elephants have less offspring and provide much parental care in order to increase survival rates. Therefore, they are not like a plant which you can regrow in a couple of weeks. It takes over a year to for an elephant to develop and give birth. That is being pregnant for a year and 10 months.
The next issue governments have to tackle is the poachers. The ICUN hopes that the ban on these goods will defer poachers due to decrease in ivory value. However, that has not stopped many people before. Rangers in africa risk their lives on a daily basis trying to protect these animals. You know how it goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. And poachers are willing to do anything to get what they need.
Rangers are not the only ones on the field. Many environmental activists have been drilling holes into elephants tusks to dye them pink. it is the same ink a bank would use on currency that has not been used yet and is supposed to help deter and capture robbers. There are also hopes that the color decreases the value of the ivory. However this tactic is up for debate for reasons such as camouflage issues and possible toxicity of the dye.
To get a glimpse at the life of these African Rangers, follow this National Geographic link: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/25/af...
There are plenty of ways to get involved in elephant conservation. Some of the ways include through the WWF, Elephant Pants, Ivory Ella shirts and there is so many more ways to contribute! Long live the African Elephants!
