12/09/2005 – Law enforcement
officials in southern Cameroon have arrested
five poachers after being caught with close
to 100 elephant tusks, as well as the remains
of other slaughtered endangered species such
as leopard and chimpanzee.
It is reported that the poachers used a military
truck to transport their cargo when they were
arrested.
WWF has lauded the efforts and vigilance
of agents of the department in charge of wildlife
and law enforcement in Cameroon.
”This and other important seizures across
Cameroon are the visible results of collaborative
efforts between the wildlife, administrative,
and judicial authorities, which WWF has helped
to coordinate over the past two years,"
said Laurent Somé, Regional Representative
of the WWF Central Africa Regional Programme
Office (CARPO).
Long viewed as a valuable commodity — used
for carvings, jewellery, and other artefacts
— the illegal killing of elephants for ivory
and meat has been identified as one of the
species' major threats. The Central Africa
region is the principal source of illegal
ivory in trade today, both within Africa and
internationally.
“Precise levels of poaching in the region
are often unclear and many governments have
inadequate resources and capacity to monitor
or protect their elephants," said Dr
Martin Tchamba, WWF CARPO's Technical Manager.
The ivory is transported to major cities
principally by road, but also reaches regional
and international destinations by air and
through seaports. Cameroon and the Democratic
Republic of Congo are two of the most important
countries in terms of illegal trade routes
abroad.
“The recent elephant seizure in Cameroon,
unfortunately, is indicative of the permanent
threat that poaching poses to the rich biodiversity
of the entire region and gives a clear message
that more concerted efforts are needed both
on the part of governments and conservation
organizations," Somé added.
END NOTES:
• WWF has worked across Africa for more than
40 years to conserve elephants. With its partners,
the global conservation organization continues
to tackle threats to elephant populations
and to improve the livelihoods of rural communities
living alongside these large mammals. WWF
supports projects that improve elephant protection
and management, build capacity within range
states, mitigate human-elephant conflict,
and reduce illegal trade in elephant products.
• WWF has identified the following issues
that need to be addressed in order to conserve
African elephants and diminish the factors
that threaten them: slowing or stopping the
loss of natural habitat; strengthening measures
to control poaching; regulation and control
of domestic ivory markets, the driving force
behind the continuing illegal international
ivory trade; reducing conflict between human
and elephant populations; and enhancing the
capacity of local wildlife authorities to
conserve, manage, and monitor elephants.
