Tanzania is losing its elephants An African elephant grazes in Tarangire National Park on the outskirts of Arusha, northern Tanzania (AP photos)
Tanzania is losing its elephants

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Elephants continue to be in trouble. That is especially true in Tanzania. There is a sharp decline of the elephant population that is most likely due to poaching. It is catastrophic. That's according to a wildlife conservation group. Tanzania is a country in Africa.

The country's government has just estimated that 65,721 elephants died there in the last five years. The report showed the number of Tanzanian elephants had gone down a great deal. In 2009, there were an estimated 109,051. By 2014, the number was down to 43,330.

Steve Broad is the executive director of the wildlife conservation group TRAFFIC. He said it is incredible that poaching on such a scale had not been identified. And that too little was being done.

The statistics back concerns by TRAFFIC in a 2013 report. The Tanzanian ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have also become main exit points for vast amounts of ivory. That is according to a statement by the group.

At least 45 tons of ivory have flowed from Tanzania to markets in Asia since 2009. That is also according to the conservation group.

Across Tanzania, some smaller elephant populations had increased. The famed Serengeti region is one example. The numbers there rose from 3,068 to 6,087 animals. However, elephant numbers were significantly down overall. The exception to this was the most heavily visited tourist locations.

Of particular concern is the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem. Only 8,272 elephants remained in 2014. That is compared to 34,664 in 2009. Those figures came from the government, the statement said.

"Tanzania has been hemorrhaging ivory with Ruaha-Rungwa the apparent epicenter. And nobody seems to have raised the alarm," Broad said. He urged the government to bring the situation under control.

The Tanzanian government says it has added an additional 1,000 rangers to protect wildlife. But Broad said "there is a real risk that it could be a case of too little too late for some elephant populations."

In February, China imposed a one-year ban on ivory imports. The ban took immediate effect. The ban came amid criticism that its citizens' huge appetite for ivory has fueled poaching.

That poaching threatens the existence of African elephants.

Critical thinking challenge: Why is it likely that populations have grown in the heavily visited tourist locations?

Assigned 20 times

  • John0724-YYCA
    6/08/2015 - 09:01 p.m.

    I don't think that they should kill elephants because only people kill animals either because its harmful or it is used for food but an elephant is mostly harmless except sometimes they could squish you but its probably because they didn't see you and I never heard of anyone eating elephants or they even sell he meat of an elephant but if they do I think it is going to taste horrible. I think lately there is a lot of animals getting endangered because of us and there was a type of giant tortoise that got extinct because of us but the point is that I think they should kill less.

  • auzmeir@grant
    6/10/2015 - 12:05 p.m.

    It is sad that the elephants is being hated and i think that they need to do some thing save that animals and i think that the prater and that when the boy that said he don't care about elephants will i think that you need to care about animals

  • VictoriaBarrera
    6/18/2015 - 02:49 a.m.

    The text speak about that Tanzania, a country of Africa, is losing its elephants due to hunting of these. The government of that country informed that more of 60.000 elephants died in less of 5 years. All of this is induced by the importation of ivory that elephants have in its fangs. Touristic locations were the exception of the loss of elephants. The Tanzanian government says it added 1000 rangers and they wait that not is too late for save the life of these elephants.
    In my opinion, the elephants are animals wonderful, that we as human must protect, each of us has the right to life and the animals aren't the exception.
    Critical thinking challenge:The elephants population has grown more in the touristic locations because are places protected and the hunters can't hunting there.

  • Alvarol97
    6/26/2015 - 02:55 a.m.

    Summary: This topic talks about the losing of elephant population in Tanzania that's produced by the hunting to take a large amount of ivory from it
    Personal thinking: I think this is so bad , how people could kill the animal to take its part of the body to raise money I don't understand, I disagree with this, We are killing the world from this way, at the end we will be alone without animals, plants, and who know if the earth will be a good place to live because we are destroying this in anyway. so..shame on us:(
    Critical thinking: Because those places are with an utmost care so people couldn't hunt the animals there, in the other side the places are without care so the people can hunting the elephants.

  • hannas-war
    9/25/2015 - 08:41 a.m.

    I think it's so sad how they could kill so many beautiful animals and no one is really trying to stop it. Elephants are amazing animals and i don't think it's right that the government isn't stopping the killing of them.

  • juanv-
    10/20/2015 - 12:48 p.m.

    This article is about AFrican elephant in danger in Tanzania the use in the ivory it's like jewelry in China they bade people stop killin Africa elephant.

  • jordano-
    10/20/2015 - 12:48 p.m.

    This article is about how elephants are getting in trouble in Tanzania its like people are killing elephants.

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