Vanishing point: Tanzanian elephants

I haven't see this posted, so here is a shocking report on the elephant poaching in Tanzania.
There is a shocking amount corruption, organized crime and very few prosecutions.
In 1979 there were 316,300 Tanzanian elephants, and only 50,500 in 2013.
The population has decreased about a factor of 10 in Selous from 1976 to
2013 (to about 12,000--reading off a graph), and a big drop starting in 2006. 
If the devastation in southern Tanzania continues, the poachers could move
north for elephants.

For those who visit Tanzania, including the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation
Area (NCA) and have seen the wonderful herds of elephants, imagine
what it could be like if you encountered poachers on a game drive (probably quite
dangerous).  I just returned from northern Tanzania, and this report makes me cry.
I have hiked in the NCA and have found steel snares from poachers near Ndutu, large
enough to trap an elephant's foot or trunk.  I have seen elephants with short trunks--torn
off from a snare.

http://eia-international.org/reports/vanishing-point-criminality-corruption-and-the-devastation-of-tanzanias-elephants

Please spread the word.  I am not sure what we can do beyond spreading the word.
Suggestions?

Roger

Hi Roger,

Yes the situation in East Africa is very bad for elephants. The situation in West Africa is even worse. Terrorist groups have been targeting elephant herds as a way for them to get money for weapons. 

The Vanishing Point narrative is informative and I would say should be required reading for anyone interested in wildlife conservation. I would hope that includes all members of NatureScapes and anyone else interested in wildlife photography, and especially those with any interest in Africa.

It's not just elephants. Other African wildlife are also at risk. 
How many people know that lions are extirpated in seven African countries? 

A few other quick facts that are disturbing:
- Black rhino population is down 97.5% since 1960.
- Tanzania has lost half of its elephants in the last 5 years and 2/3 since 2006.
- Human population growth and land development have reduced lion habitat by an estimated 75%.
- Giraffes have lost 40% of their population in the last 15 years, in large part due to false herbal medicine claims.
- In 2013, the price of raw ivory at auction in China was $3,000/kilo.

Hope you had a good trip this year.

Paul

Here's a related story:

http://news.yahoo.com/ivory-mafia-crimi ... 27029.html

Joe