It has been reported that two of the largest elephants in Africa have been killed by trophy hunters. The two elephants were killed by poachers in Botswana and had been stripped of their 100 lbs and 90 lbs tusks.
According to Africa Geographic, a travel and conservation business operating on the continent, the 100 lbs tusked bull elephant is said to have been killed by a professional hunter by the name of Leon Kachelhoffer, and the 90 lbs tusked bull elephant is said to have been killed by Johan Calitz Safaris.
The 100 lbs tusked elephant is the largest elephant known to have been killed since 1996.
Hunters frequently target elephants in order to remove their tusks, made of ivory. These are then sold on to ornamental collectors, or those who wish to use the ivory in traditional medicines. While the hunting of elephants and the sale of ivory is outlawed there are vast profits to be made, with ivory at times almost costing the same as gold, gram-for-gram. Much of the ivory purchased worldwide is bought by dealers and consumers in East Asia.
In recent years Botswana, home to the largest elephant population in the world, has successfully clamped down on hunting, employing full-time rangers to hunt down poachers and defend elephants, whilst also protecting elephant habitats. This does not mean however that the hunting and killing of elephants for ivory has been eliminated.
African Geographic CEO Simon Espley released a statement following the killings, saying:
"The 100-pounder hunt took place in NG13 – which is in the elephant migration corridor that KAZA hopes will help reduce human-elephant conflict. Angola and Zambia have large tracts of suitable elephant habitat and the KAZA strategy is to ensure that wildlife migration corridors remain free of obstacles and fear zones – so that elephants can again move freely between the KAZA countries and place less pressure on Botswana's people and ecosystems. The location of this hunt pegs NG13 as a 'fear zone' (see research link above) for elephants – resulting in this particular hunt being damaging to Botswana's wish to reduce human-elephant conflict and so improve the lives of its people."
"The surgical removal of Africa's remaining large-tusked elephants by trophy hunters will not solve any human-elephant conflict or habitat issues. The volume of elephants hunted is not sufficient to reduce elephant populations. Instead, the likely result of the selection of large-tusked elephants as trophies will be to hasten the disappearance of tuskers from the African landscape."
[Based on reporting by: Africa Geographic]
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