ASIAN ELEPHANT: KILLING FOR SKIN
UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION REVEALS ASIAN ELEPHANTS ARE FACING HUGE THREAT FROM POACHERS
MONOJ GOGOI
The elephant population is decreasing drastically due to habitat loss, forests fragmentation, traditional migratory routes blockade due to agricultural or other developmental activities outside protected areas. Therefore man-elephant conflicts are also increasing in many parts of the world. Due to high monetary value of ivories, skins and some other limbs of the body in international markets, the African and Asian elephants became easy prey of the poachers. But trading of ivory was internationally banned in 1989 and it could not help in distracting the poachers eyes from the pachyderm.
The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), classified as endangered according to the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN), faces huge threat from the poachers, particularly in Myanmar, but it doesn't mean that this species is safe in other South Asian countries. But Myanmar is stated here because large numbers of this mammal have been killing here by poachers for skins. Myanmar has turned into a safe heaven for poachers; smugglers and Chinese illegal elephant skin's traders.
Elephant Family, an organization for protecting the Asian elephants and conserving their habitats carried out an undercover investigation on the illicit trafficking of the skins of this large mammal and found that there was a very large market of it in the Chinese part. The elephants were killed in Myanmar with the help of Myanmarese people because more than 23 percent of Myanmarese population were poor, so they were very easy to involve in this lucrative profession.
According to the report, elephant skin is largely used in China as traditional medicines (for skin conditions and digestive problems) and as jewelry (for beaded bracelets).
In a press release, on August 12, 2019, as the day happened to be the World Elephants Day, expressed serious concern over the findings of the pachyderm's skins sale through the undercover investigation in China. The release, entitled "Skins for Sale: An Update on the Trade in Asian Elephant Skin" told, "Today Elephant Family is releasing a new report following a further eighteen months of tracking this illicit activity as it continues to expand and shift strategies and locales, including in response to enforcement measures."
Elephant Family began it's investigation of the skin trade in 2016 and since then the organization found that hundreds of elephants, including some from captive populations and even an entire herd of 25 adults and calves, have been skinned. Worse, this illegal poaching was indiscriminate because it targeted any elephant, including tuskless females and calves that were normally spared by ivory poachers. The derivative products like illegal skins of elephants and other body parts were trafficked geographically and through online markets and stores in China and elsewhere.
This undercover investigation, this Elephant Family also uncover a shocking fact that the elephant skins were dried and powdered, and mixed up with the powder made from pangolin scales to use it as medicines for stomach ailments. It is also a very serious matter to worry that all the six species of pangolin are considered as critically endangered. According to an official estimation in 2017, there were only 45,697- 48,534 Asian elephants remaining in the wild.
The organization, Elephant Family, was hopeful that when they would place the report at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties-18 (CoP-18) which was held in Geneva from Aug 17 to Aug 28, 2019, there would be a wider discussion. Participating in the CoP-18, the organization appealed the participants to initiate an urgent action to save the pachyderm from the vicious trade.
On the other hand, Rainforest Rescue, an international environmental organization, also uploaded an open letter recently in it's website appealing people's signatures to curb the trafficking of elephants' skins and other body parts. This letter was addressed to the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping and the State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi and depicted the failures in protecting the Asian elephant from the vicious circle of the illegal traders and urged them to take immediate action to conserve this endangered species.
The cause behind the addressing the heads of these two countries was that the elephants were particularly killed in Myanmar and sold its limbs, including the most priced skins, in China.
The Elephant Family revealed that before the press release of the organization on Aug 12, 2019, the elephant skins were sold through online too, but the products description were in local language. Immediately after the press release, the online traders removed the items from their websites. During its investigation, the organization also found many wholesalers and kiosks of retailers in Chinese part.
MONOJ GOGOI
The elephant population is decreasing drastically due to habitat loss, forests fragmentation, traditional migratory routes blockade due to agricultural or other developmental activities outside protected areas. Therefore man-elephant conflicts are also increasing in many parts of the world. Due to high monetary value of ivories, skins and some other limbs of the body in international markets, the African and Asian elephants became easy prey of the poachers. But trading of ivory was internationally banned in 1989 and it could not help in distracting the poachers eyes from the pachyderm.
The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), classified as endangered according to the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN), faces huge threat from the poachers, particularly in Myanmar, but it doesn't mean that this species is safe in other South Asian countries. But Myanmar is stated here because large numbers of this mammal have been killing here by poachers for skins. Myanmar has turned into a safe heaven for poachers; smugglers and Chinese illegal elephant skin's traders.
Elephant Family, an organization for protecting the Asian elephants and conserving their habitats carried out an undercover investigation on the illicit trafficking of the skins of this large mammal and found that there was a very large market of it in the Chinese part. The elephants were killed in Myanmar with the help of Myanmarese people because more than 23 percent of Myanmarese population were poor, so they were very easy to involve in this lucrative profession.
According to the report, elephant skin is largely used in China as traditional medicines (for skin conditions and digestive problems) and as jewelry (for beaded bracelets).
In a press release, on August 12, 2019, as the day happened to be the World Elephants Day, expressed serious concern over the findings of the pachyderm's skins sale through the undercover investigation in China. The release, entitled "Skins for Sale: An Update on the Trade in Asian Elephant Skin" told, "Today Elephant Family is releasing a new report following a further eighteen months of tracking this illicit activity as it continues to expand and shift strategies and locales, including in response to enforcement measures."
Elephant Family began it's investigation of the skin trade in 2016 and since then the organization found that hundreds of elephants, including some from captive populations and even an entire herd of 25 adults and calves, have been skinned. Worse, this illegal poaching was indiscriminate because it targeted any elephant, including tuskless females and calves that were normally spared by ivory poachers. The derivative products like illegal skins of elephants and other body parts were trafficked geographically and through online markets and stores in China and elsewhere.
This undercover investigation, this Elephant Family also uncover a shocking fact that the elephant skins were dried and powdered, and mixed up with the powder made from pangolin scales to use it as medicines for stomach ailments. It is also a very serious matter to worry that all the six species of pangolin are considered as critically endangered. According to an official estimation in 2017, there were only 45,697- 48,534 Asian elephants remaining in the wild.
The organization, Elephant Family, was hopeful that when they would place the report at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties-18 (CoP-18) which was held in Geneva from Aug 17 to Aug 28, 2019, there would be a wider discussion. Participating in the CoP-18, the organization appealed the participants to initiate an urgent action to save the pachyderm from the vicious trade.
On the other hand, Rainforest Rescue, an international environmental organization, also uploaded an open letter recently in it's website appealing people's signatures to curb the trafficking of elephants' skins and other body parts. This letter was addressed to the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping and the State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi and depicted the failures in protecting the Asian elephant from the vicious circle of the illegal traders and urged them to take immediate action to conserve this endangered species.
The cause behind the addressing the heads of these two countries was that the elephants were particularly killed in Myanmar and sold its limbs, including the most priced skins, in China.
The Elephant Family revealed that before the press release of the organization on Aug 12, 2019, the elephant skins were sold through online too, but the products description were in local language. Immediately after the press release, the online traders removed the items from their websites. During its investigation, the organization also found many wholesalers and kiosks of retailers in Chinese part.
Its Ireally an interesting story on Asian elephant. I request you to write on elephants of India.
ReplyDeletePlease write on the pangolins too. It's also endangered and most trafficking mammal.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedbacks. I am working on the endangered species of plants animals with limited resources. Hope you will find the expected materials (write-ups) within a very short period of time. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteHope you will write on translocations of animals and it's feasibility.
ReplyDelete