Chinese Ivory Smuggler Arrested, Poachers killed in Mwingi

A Chinese ivory smuggler arrested by Kenya Wildlife Services has been arraigned at Makadara Law Courst in Nairobi after being arrest at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Feng Jinzhang, 50 was arrested as he tried to smuggle ivory while on transit aboard a flight KQ 542 from Contonou, Benin to Guangzhou, China, late Sunday night.

Jinzhang was arrested by a joint security team comprising of the Kenya Airports Police Unit, Customs officials, Kenya Airways officials and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials.

The suspect was booked at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport police station awaiting arraignment in court to answer to charges of smuggling, through Kenyan territory, four pieces of ivory bangles.

His arrest comes with at the backdrop of the ongoing 16th Conference of the Parties (CoP) by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting at Bangkok, Thailand.

The meeting posthumously honoured 13 KWS rangers who died in the line of duty, and nine other recipients from around the world, with a Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award.

A Kenyan delegation, headed by Mr. Stephen Manegene from Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, is lobbying state parties to, among others, to ensure no proposals to trade in elephant ivory can be submitted before expiry of a nine years moratorium agreed at CoP14 in The Hague in 2007.

Over the weekend KWS rangers and the Kenya Police arrested a poachin gang after a fierce gub fight at Bisan Hargeisa, near Mwingi town, Kitui County.

They managed to impound 21 pieces of raw ivory weighing 91kg, and a motorbike. A further search in the surrounding areas by a reinforcement team from Kora National Park and the police recovered seven more pieces of ivory weighing 30.6kg.

The team acted on a tip off from members of the public and the suspects who resisted being search which led to the gun fight.

No ranger was hurt during the incident.

Manuel Odeny, ©2013

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) condemns recent elephant killing

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has condemned the recent slaughter of 11 jumbos for their ivory at Tsavo National Park.

WWF has termed the attack as the worst to have ever been recorded in the country and called on Kenya wildlife Service and international community ton step up and save elephants threatened by poaching.

“This horrific crime demonstrates the lengths that poachers will go to get ivory – even killing a two-month old calf.  It highlights the need for the international community to work together to address the global increase in poaching and wildlife crime,” Drew McVey, WWF African elephant and rhino specialist said.

Drew said that to help curtail the poaching menace African states as source of elephant populations should work closely with destination countries in Asia where consumers drive demand for ivory as well as transit territories through which illegal ivory and other animal parts are being smuggled.

The fund said that with the increase of wealthy consumers in Asia countries like China and Thailand for ivory jewellery and ornaments elephants poaching and ivory smuggling has increased across Africa and is set to undermine Kenya’s 1989 ban of ivory trade which was in line with the international CITES control.

“The epidemic of elephant killings that has ravaged populations in Central Africa is now spreading to Kenya – and that’s troubling because Kenya in recent years has largely had a solid track record of elephant management and protection,” Matthew Lewis, WWF’s African species expert said.

Lewis said in an online statement that to ensure that the trend doesn’t continue and poachers are brought to justice the county’s weak and antiquated wildlife laws are modernized as swiftly as possible to ensure that poachers receive appropriately stiff penalties for their heinous crimes.

“WWF is committed to helping the Kenya Wildlife Service adopt the latest systems of law enforcement monitoring, and also helping Kenya work more closely with its neighbors to counter regional poaching syndicates,” Lewis said.

In a statement to KWS Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that last year the country lost the highest recorded number of elephants in the recent years at least 360 jumbos which was 71 m0re than 2011.

“Our wildlife is a major source of income as a nation  and almost the sole source of our earnings from Tourism which has come under serious assault from poachers in recent days,” Odinga said.

The PM called on a quick response from security agencies and treasury to kelp KWS to address the menace by aiding in equipment, personnel and logistical needed to ensure secure parks and protect our wildlife.

“We need a well coordinated, well-financed and properly designed crackdown on poachers. This must involve the police, the relevant ministries and Interpol,” he said.

He also called on the international community to help strengthen the national and international policing to deal with wildlife trafficking as a serious threat to conservation, rule of law, governance and economic development.

© Manuel Odeny, 2013

Cites ban on Tanzania Ivory Trade will save the Jumbo

Kenya Wildlife Services officer with confiscated ivory

The recent decision at the cites meet to prevent Tanzania from selling its ivory stockpile worth $20 is a step in the right direction.

Had Tanzania been given the nod, not only would this have endangered the county's jumbos but those of neighboring countries like Mozambique and Kenya as well.

The recently released Briefing Report of the Panel of Experts on Ivory Trade on March this year by London and Tanzanian environmentalists, notes that Tanzania is the largest ivory trader in Africa on a scale surpassing China.

Tanzania has been reported as having a thriving illegal ivory trade which has lead to poaching at it game reserves like the Selous in southern parts of the country.

Additionally, large amounts of tusks from the country have been intercepted en-route to East, who are the world largest users of ivory products.

With the alarming poaching of the Jumbos the trading ban should be implemented to help save the Tuskers from extinction. Wildlife should not only benefit corrupt big cats but all citizens in the region.

Thus effects of allowing trade would spill over to the region considering that elephants roam freely from say Kenya's Maasai Mara to Tanzania's Serengeti national parks.

Besides, the lack of tight security in the region as well as porous borders would encourage smuggling of tusks.

the only way to save the elephants from extinction is by adhering to the ban on ivory trade.

This calls for concerted efforts from all nations around the globe. Wildlife is not meant to benefit corrupt big cats only, but all citizens in the East african region.

Published on Thursday, April 1, 2010 by The Standard/Kenya

published by The EastAfrican april 5-11, 2010
Available online at SaveTheElephant
Posted too by A Mozambique news site mznoiticas