Officials in Thailand seized just over 326 pounds of full elephant tusks and 31 other fragments en route from Nigeria to China at a Bangkok airport on Friday, January 5th. Officials estimated the price of the ivory on the black market at 15 million baht – $469,800.
“From what I can tell, these ivory tusks were taken from very big elephants, and elephants of that size are now hard to find even in Africa,” Somkiat Soontornpittakkool of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation told the Associated Press. “And judging from how the tusks look, they appear to have been taken a while ago. They weren’t hunted recently. They were taken and stored for a while before smugglers sent them out.”
This is a common trend. A report from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) examining elephant populations and poaching trends in Africa found that poaching has actually decreased in recent years even as ivory seizures are increasing. CITES officials believe poachers have stockpiled ivory, which they ship intermittently. This appears to be what happened in Thailand.
Soontornpittakkool explained that the discoloration of the seized tusks suggest they aren’t fresh. It’s likely they were left in storage for a long time before they were shipped. The tusks also belong to large African elephants, another indication the tusks were taken a long time ago since large African elephants are very rare.
Actually, elephants are becoming more scarce in general. Over the last 10 years, elephant populations have decreased by 50 percent due to poaching, and each year elephant populations decrease by about 8 percent.
International efforts to crack down on poaching, however, have reduced poaching in the wild. The UK proposed stricter bans on ivory this year, China banned the sale of domestic ivory, and Thailand increased its ability to pursue ivory sales in 2014 and 2015 when they banned the sale of elephant ivory. These efforts have paid off, resulting in the seizure in Bangkok.
Increased vigilance in Thailand has led to other seizures as well. Last year, Thai officials seized 510 elephant tusk fragments.
Although no suspects have been named, officials said in a press conference they would take the tusks as evidence and investigate the case further.
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This is cruel, these beautiful creatures should be protected.
Ningún animal en el mundo debe ser objeto del goce del hombre, de ninguna clase ni justificación. Los animales no son mercancías, menos aún para hacerles padecer hasta su muerte.
Important TO CONTINUE vigilance in catching these shipments.
They are sub-human criminals and must be punished.
ALL countries must adhere to the importance of protecting our elephants.
At least the Thai government is taking the poaching of animals seriously. I hope they capture the bastards responsible and put them to death.????
Best way to deal with countries that have governments not doing anything is TO NOT GO THERE!!!
This is truly tragic and an example of the violence and sin man stoops to. Money IS the ROOT of ALL Evil!
We ALL MUST demand STRONGER punishments against poachers-exile and perhaps losing a hand or their dicks!
I know that isn’t a very kind thing to say-but these are vile lowlifes that deprive the world of Amazing, magnificent animals and if harsher means to end it is needed-so be it!
We need to employ troops there as well.
Everyone MUST DEMAND the END of trophy hunting and canned hunting and any imports of animal parts, etc. from Africa and other countries. Call your Congress Members and also write to them, tweet, e-mail and comment on their facebook page. Urge the Department of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Services that they END imports and BAN trophy hunting as well!!
When there are no animals left on this earth in Asian countries, what will they decimate and torture then ?Hopefully it will be each other
Well……it’s a bit late for the poor, wonderful elephants the tusks belonged to but Hallelujah for the raid and seizure. It’s a good step ahead on helping stop this trade and the needless death of our elephants and leaving the ivory where God intended…on the elephants!
That’s just sick .put them away forever
Dreadful.
This has to stop now!!
This has to stop!! We need to help save elephants don’t expect
our dear sweet president to help.
Until our world recognizes the HATE & CRUELTY to animals…..we remain an UNCIVILIZED WORLD.
I don’t understand if China banned ivory, why are they participating in this sickening activity. All of the large elephants have been killed. What a great sad statement about the human race!
Until china stops pursuing ivory the elephant is doomed. Time for China to step up and be the modern nation they protest to be.
Poor elephants. Love you elephants! This is totally wrong. Animals have the rights to their own bodies and to their own lives. I want this evil done on animals to stop. Greed, and cruelty of all kinds must stop both on all animals and all humans.