What's Happening
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H
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BY LAWRENCE GABLE
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VOL 14, NO 6 FEBRUARY 2014
lephant populations across
Africa have fallen dangerously
low. In the last two centuries
humans have killed incredible numbers of elephants for their ivory tusks.
The largest market for ivory products is
China, a country that has shown little interest
in protecting elephants. Recently China
displayed a different attitude, though, when
it destroyed six tons of illegal ivory.
Experts have traced the decline in
elephant populations. When Europeans began
settling in Africa in 1800, about
26 million elephants roamed the
continent. Over the next hundred
years ivory became a luxury item, and that
led to killings. By 1910 Africa's elephant
population had fallen to about 10 million. By 1989 it
stood at only about 600, 000, and now approximately
450, 000 elephants remain.
Elephants range across 38 African nations.
However, growing human populations have taken away
much of their habitat. People are still trying to figure out
how to live in harmony with elephants. Sometimes the
animals cross onto farms where they destroy crops and
even kill people. In response, people have killed some
elephants in order to protect their families and property.
Many of the African countries have established
preserves where elephants can live away from humans.
Rangers monitor these vast preserves and ensure that the
animals are thriving. Unfortunately, they have not been
able to stop the illegal killing of elephants by poachers.
These criminals belong to international networks that
profit from the slaughter of elephants and sale of their
ivory tusks.
Many poachers now act like small military
units. They use helicopters to travel quickly in and out
of the preserves. They carry automatic weapons so that
they can kill the animals and, if necessary, rangers who
try to stop them. Poachers have begun using poison too.
Last year they poisoned watering holes in Zimbabwe
and killed more than 300 elephants in just a couple of
months. Once poachers have killed an elephant, they
use machetes and saws to hack into the animal’s face
and remove the tusks.
E
R
The world is trying to
protect elephants. In 1975 the
Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) went into effect. Its purpose
is to ensure that international trade
does not threaten the survival of any
wild animals and plants. In 1989 CITES
approved a worldwide ban on the international trade of ivory. Levels of poaching fell
dramatic-ally, as did the value of ivory on
the black market.
Despite the ban, the illegal
ivory trade has more than doubled since 2007. A single tusk
from an adult male might be ten feet
long and weigh 200 pounds. After poachers and smugglers sell tusks multiple times along the
way to illegal carving workshops in Asia, tusks from
a single elephant easily can be worth $50, 000.
China accounts for 70 percent of the world’s
demand for ivory. The country’s growing middle class
can afford ivory products. They buy things like chopsticks, combs, jewelry and small statues. Traditional
Chinese medicine also uses the powder to clean poisons
from the body. Until now the government never has
paid any attention to the crisis facing elephants, but that
seems to have changed.
When China destroyed six tons of illegal ivory
on January 6, it made the destruction a public event. It
invited Chinese officials, foreign diplomats and wildlife
campaigners to Dongguan, an important city in the ivory
trade. They all watched as machines ground whole tusks
and carvings into powder. That ivory was only a portion
of the illegal ivory in China, but its destruction was a
powerful, symbolic gesture. It was an admission that the
country has been ignoring the market it offers to poachers and smugglers.
The poaching of African elephants has swelled
to record numbers. Animal rights groups estimate that
poachers kill as many as 50, 000 annually, or more than
130 each day. Now they are losing their best customer
though. China is joining the fight to protect elephants,
and there is renewed hope for the survival of the largest
land mammal on Earth.
China Joins the Fight
for Elephants
What's Happening
I
N
T
BY LAWRENCE GABLE
H
E
W O
R
L
D
?
VOL 14, NO 6 FEBRUARY 2014
elephant, they use machetes and
lephant populations in
saws to hack into the animal’s
Africa are dangerously
face and remove the tusks.
low. Humans are killing
The world is trying to
large numbers of elephants for
protect elephants. In 1975 the
their ivory tusks. China is the
Convention on International Trade in
biggest market for ivory products,
Endangered Species (CITES) went into
and until now it has shown little interest
effect. Its purpose is to prevent trade from
in protecting elephants. Now China’s
threatening the survival of any wild aniattitude has changed though, and in January
mals and plants. In 1989 CITES banned
it destroyed six tons of illegal ivory.
the international trade of ivory. That
Europeans began settling in
caused poaching and the
Africa around 1800. At that time
China
Joins
the
Fight
value of ivory to fall.
26 million elephants roamed the
Unfortunately, the
continent. Over the next hundred
for
Elephants
illegal ivory trade has more than douyears ivory became a luxury item, and
bled since 2007. A single tusk from an adult male
that led to killings. By 1910 the elephant population had fallen to about 10 million. Now only about might be ten feet long and weigh 200 pounds. After
poachers and smugglers sell tusks multiple times
450, 000 elephants remain.
along the way to Asia, tusks from a single elephant
Elephants live in 38 African nations.
can be worth $50, 000.
However, growing human populations have taken
The Chinese buy 70 percent of the world’s
away much of their habitat. People are still learnivory products. They buy things like chopsticks,
ing how to live in harmony with elephants.
combs, jewelry and small statues. Traditional
Sometimes the animals roam onto farms where
Chinese medicine also uses the ivory powder. Until
they destroy crops and even kill people. People
have killed some elephants in order to protect their now the government never has paid any attention
to the crisis facing elephants, but that has changed.
families and property.
China destroyed six tons of illegal ivory on
Many of the African countries have preserves where elephants can live away from humans. January 6. It made the destruction a public event.
Chinese officials, foreign diplomats and wildlife
Rangers monitor these vast areas and make sure
that the animals are doing well. Unfortunately, they campaigners watched as machines ground the ivory
into powder. That ivory was only a part of the illehave not stopped the illegal killing of elephants by
gal ivory in China. However, its destruction was
poachers. These criminals belong to international
networks that profit from the sale of the ivory tusks. a symbol that the country is changing.
The poaching of African elephants has
Many poachers now act like small military
reached record numbers. Poachers are killing as
units. They use helicopters to travel quickly in and
out of the preserves. They carry automatic weapons many as 50, 000 every year. Now they are losing
to kill the animals and, if necessary, rangers who try their best customer though. China is joining the
fight to protect elephants, and there is hope that
to stop them. Poachers have begun using poison at
Earth’s largest land mammal will survive.
watering holes too. When poachers have killed an
E
ELEPHANT POACHING
Background Information
Through the 19 th century hunting in South Africa resulted
in the near-extinction of elephants in South Africa. From
there hunters moved northward into other countries.
Representatives from 80 countries developed CITES, but
now 179 countries are part of the agreement.
The 1989 CITES ban on international trade of ivory
helped elephants for a while. Tanzania’s elephant population rose from 55, 000 to over 125, 000. The population
in Kenya nearly doubled to 30, 000 by 2007.
All 38 African elephant range states have agreed to the
African Elephant Action Plan. The elephant populations
are falling in all of those countries. Ivory Coast got its
name because it once had so many elephants, but now
only about 200 remain there. Senegal has fewer than a
dozen elephants left, and Sierra Leone lost its last wild
elephant in 2009.
Tanzania has the largest remaining population of elephants
in East Africa. It stands at 70, 000, but now poachers are
killing about 10, 000 elephants annually.
The ivory that China destroyed had been smuggled into
the country, but seized at different times and places by the
government. It represented only one-sixth of the illegal
ivory seized globally in 2012, and was worth $8.4 million.
The Chinese basketball star Yao Ming has been appearing
with the soccer star David Beckham in a public service
message on Chinese TV about the evils of poaching.
In 2013 the U.S. and The Philippines destroyed tons of
illegal ivory. Kenya and Gabon also have destroyed their
stocks of ivory recently.
African countries have the world’s highest proportion
of their land set aside as preserves and protected areas.
When African nations established parks and preserves
years ago, rural populations were low and land was
plentiful. Now dense human populations surround many
of them.
Poor Africans poach too because elephants can be a source
of income for them. Wildlife protection programs are trying to get the cooperation of local communities. They are
developing eco-tourism, for example, so that elephants are
a source of income when they are alive. Other programs
are repaying people for the damage that elephants cause.
Topics for Discussion and Writing
Pre-reading:
• What do elephants do with their tusks?
Comprehension:
• Explain the fall of Africa’s elephant populations.
Beyond the Text:
• Use the Internet to find detailed differences between
African and Asian elephants.
• Identify another animal whose populations are suffering,
and explain why that is happening.
• What is a black market?
Vocabulary (*advanced article only)
Article-specific: ivory; tusk; to settle; to range*; habitat;
preserve; ranger; poacher; network; slaughter*;
machete; convention; ban/to ban; black market*;
smuggler; to carve; diplomat; gesture*
High-use: century*; to display*; attitude; to trace*;
decline*; continent; luxury; approximately*;
harmony; to monitor; vast; to ensure*; to thrive*;
survival; despite*; crisis; symbol/symbolic;
to estimate*; mammal
Sources
The Independent (London) January 15, 11, 1, 2014;
December 18, 15, 2013
The Australian January 8, 2014
New York Times January 7, 2014; March 1, 2013
Wall Street Journal January 7, 2014
Daily Telegraph (London) January 7, 2014
Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2014
AllAfrica September 23, 2013
Common Core Curricular Standards
Reading—Grades 5–12
Quote accurately from text
Cite textual evidence
Draw inferences
Determine central ideas
Analyze structure of text
Interpret words and phrases
According to the Born Free Foundation, elephants kill
about 35 people each year in Kenya.
© 2014 Lawrence Gable www.whpubs.com