Kenya conservationists worried over rising ivory demand

[Barrett808]

Tsavo National Park, Kenya (AFP) Feb 13, 2011 – A slowdown in the increase of Kenya's elephant numbers is raising fears among conservationists that hard-fought gains in saving the animals may be reversed amid growing demand for ivory.

An aerial census conducted in the east African country's largest elephant sanctuary last week showed a drop in the population's growth rate from a previously recorded four percent to two percent.

A total of 12,572 elephants were counted in the expansive Tsavo ecosystem, which may mark a slight increase from the previous count in 2008 of 11,696 but also represents a decline in the growth rate.

Julius Kipng'etich, the director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, said the slowdown might reflect "increased demand for ivory and the subsequent rise in poaching."

Kenya has lost dozens of elephants in recent years and authorities say the one-off sale of ivory stockpiles granted to four southern African states in 2008 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has increased demand in Asian countries.

"We have seen cases of poaching increasing," said Kipng'etich. ...

In 1976, Tsavo was home to some 35,000 elephants. In the early 1970s, around 6,000 animals died during a harsh drought, and by 1988 only 5,400 remained in the park in the wake of a major poaching onslaught. ...

Kenya conservationists worried over rising ivory demand