Despite various exceptions, the UK’s proposed ivory ban will be among the toughest in the world.
Paleoloxodon antiquus has been extinct for 120 000 years.
By Apotea (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The destruction of a massive haul of illegal ivory was supposed to send a message to poachers and those who trade in the tusks. Did they notice, or can the ivory be used to help elephant conservation?
The Trump administration is considering requests from hunters to import wildlife trophies (body parts) on a case-by-case basis. Does this approach promote conservation or threaten endangered species?
Chishuru, a male African elephant, indicates a target scent during trials.
Graham Alexander
Elephants have the highest count of olfactory receptor genes of any species tested to date. This suggests that they may be the best smellers in the animal kingdom.
Zoos have come along way from their menagerie past. But society is increasingly demanding they become agents of conservation rather than entertainment.
The Southern Tanzania Elephant Program used camera traps to capture elephant visits to farmland.
STEP/Author supplied
Elephants feeding on crops poses a challenge to their coexistence with humans. Farmers must introduce strategies to reduce losses and avoid lethal action against the endangered species.
The tusks in these ornamental elephants are real ivory.
William Warby
Sea cows (Sirenia) descended from four legged mammals that roamed Africa when this continent was isolated. They belong to the Afrotheria, the ‘African beasts’.
Could this be the world’s largest Fitbit?
Supplied
By understanding sleep across animals we can gain insights into improving the quality of human sleep. It can also help to bolster conservation management strategies for the animals in question.
While hugely popular for a time, the advent of the three ring circus invited animal cruelty complaints and led to the demise of more skilled circus artistry.
China plans to ban the ivory trade. The hope is that prices will be driven downwards and elephant numbers will improve.
Ross Harvey
Zimbabwe are looking to resolve a debt to China by selling animals to them. But one of the concerns is that the elephants sold will eventually be farmed and their ivory harvested.
Elephant feet have peculiar structures that can also be seen in other large-bodied animals.
Supplied
Foot problems are more rife in elephants living in captivity. The hard ground they walk on often gives them foot trouble. Generally, by the time the problem is picked up, it’s too late.
The 27-year old ban on international ivory trade has clearly failed to deliver a sustained solution to the poaching crisis.
Shutterstock
Ivory was a major talking point at the CITES CoP17 conference.Many feel the ban on trade doesn’t work while others believe the ban is the only way to save the iconic species.
The fate of elephants ultimately lies in the hands of humans and a continued ban will not solve the poaching problem.
Shutterstock
The ivory trade is a very contentious issue and will be debated at CITES. It will revolve around maintaining or lifting the ban on trade. But the human element is likely to be ignored.
CITES has become the premier multilateral arrangement to tackle illegal wildlife trafficking.
Ross Harvey
Ross Harvey, South African Institute of International Affairs
The focus of CITES is not solely on the protection of species. It also promotes controlled trade that is not detrimental to the sustainability of wild species.