The Ivory Trade

In a shocking and damning undercover investigation fronted by the (EIA) Environmental Investigation Agency for National Geo-Graphic channel (NGC) on the Elephant ivory trade we can see at a more in-depth view the barbaric and senseless methods used to slaughter our African Elephants, to the illegally smuggled ivory that’s moving from African shipping ports to Chinese and other Asian ports.

We was expecting to see a vast increase in Ivory smuggled from African nations to China the number one trade route through to more prominent Asian nations, however one was not expecting to view the gargantuan increase  which has seen the African elephant populations decrease instantaneously over a matter of five years that’s shocked ourselves International Animal Rescue Foundation and other environmentalists and non-governmental organisations that are working to preserve this delicate species alongside that of the Rhinoceros.

The patterns of illegal wildlife trafficking in regards to the Elephant species are almost identical to that of the illegal poaching and illegal trading of the African Rhinoceros horn. We have always been aware that customs and excise to border control have been playing a pivotal role within this trade but to what extents yet we still were not fully aware off.

It’s blatantly obvious, that African customs officials are either turning a blind eye, bribed with vast sums of cash or threatened into allowing the Elephant ivory to be contained within shipping containers of which are destined for Asia.

Customs in Asia are also bribed as stipulated within the (EIA) Environmental Investigation Agency documentary report into allowing the ivory to pass through unchecked that is then destined for the black market to the (TCM) Traditional Chinese Medicine market to.

The price for Elephant ivory has rapidly increased due to the decimations of whole parades of Elephants that populate mainly Africa, yet the African and Asian governments are doing little or nothing to halt this current trend that will see the Elephant plunder like that of the Rhinoceros and the Lion populations should it not be contained immediately.

Chinese state owned media have broadcasted documentaries and arrests to seizures made on a grand scale of ivory however we like many other conservationists know to well this a calumniation of the exactitude which China wants you to believe, or being plain simple “pulling the wool over one’s eye’s” which does not wash with ourselves International Animal Rescue Foundation and other conservationists.

Chinese construction workers are gushing into Africa by the plane load to work on the infrastructure, railway construction, roads, hydropower, to general construction of buildings. Since this increase though and identical to that of the rapidly decreasing numbers of the Rhinoceros, the numbers of African Elephants have grossly decreased.

Many migrant workers from China arrive from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Sichuan, Hunan, Henan, Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces and Shandong Guantang. These states have little economy and hold many poor families that cannot even afford the price of living, most concerning though are the increasing (TCM) Traditional Chinese Medicine markets, ivory and illegal wildlife traders located within these areas.

One would believe then that if 80% of these families are poor and living in infelicitous and impecunious conditions then how they can possibly afford to reside and work in Africa never mind purchasing the air fare tickets.

Well that’s were Asian organised crime syndicates fall into the loop that own and run most if not all of these poverty stricken areas. Asian gangs purchase the tickets for individuals to travel to Africa from which are not just in Africa to aid in construction work, but to also aid the poachers that are filling the Chinese markets up with Elephant ivory plus other illegally smuggled wildlife parts.

The (EIA) Environmental Investigation Agency investigated this theory of which is now the most likely cause for the decimating population levels of the African elephants and Rhinoceros to date. We have known for many years now that construction workers are to blame for the increased poaching levels as well as other conservationists knowing this to.

Construction workers are connected or related to these dangerous Asian gangs that rule Asian necessitous stricken areas which would give reason to believe where to sequester poaching syndicates, poachers, to identifying the location within shipping ports in Africa where smuggled ivory is being concealed ready to ship out to the Asia.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/23/china-rise-illegal-ivory

Isolating these areas immediately to initiate counter surveillance would be beneficial in now halting the barbaric slaughter to homing in on those that are heavily involved within the illegal exporting of 90% of African Elephant ivory to even Rhinoceros horn of which would see a substantial decrease in trade, and poaching, to more voluminous levels of arrests which in turn would also increase a moralistic atmosphere within the conservation world and Anti-Poaching Units too. Only 10% of ivory in China is “legal”

Elephant populations vary from African states that are threatened by human and Elephant conflict, habitual loss as of over population, construction and their migratory routes being disturbed to destroyed, Elephants are also hunted for their meat along with illegal hunting and then poaching. The start of 2012 in Bouba National Park saw a prodigious three hundred Elephants illegally poached in Cameroon that’s forty less then that for the whole of the 2011 period of Rhinoceros poached in South Africa.

With more than twelve thousand Elephants poached in Africa each year then this gives reason to now push for a temporary to unabbreviated moratorium on hunting that would fiercely decrease poaching levels plus decrease the corruptive trade of trophy hunting from which most Chinese citizens that hunt do not keep the trophies as they were intended for, ending up on the ivory black market.

The African Elephant population count is quoted as six hundred and ninety thousand that falls under the “vunerable” status on the (IUCN) list, International Union for Conservation of Nature but unfortunately with the Asian Elephant residing in nations that have no animal abuse laws plus being rich in the illegal and non-illegal ivory sales then sadly the Asian Elephant is numbered at a depressing thirty two thousand that’s listed on the (IUCN) list as endangered.

In 1990 a global treaty legalised the sale of Elephant tusks however banning the sale of ivory that saw one hundred and seventy six nations sign the global treaty done little to quell poaching, in 2011 though the poaching rates really kicked off.

Large numbers of seizures is not halting the onslaught or the opportunist taking these million year old gentle giants down. Opportunist poachers can wipe out a whole parade/herd to just one or two leaving the babies to fend for themselves or latch on to another herd that may or may not always want the baby of which has to be cared for or dies a slow death from malnutrition, dehydration, or infection. From the 1930’s to 1940’s there was a copious population of three to five “million” Elephants that stretched the African continent from the Mediterranean right through to the Sothern tip, unfortunately in the 1950s when trophy hunting was the all-time rage Elephant numbers dropped drastically.

From the 1980’s there was a tremendous one hundred thousand Elephants brutally slain “every year”.  Kenya saw the vastest decrease in herd population of an eye watering 85% drop between 1973 and 1989.

2012 is now crisis point that will see the entire African and Asian Elephant population obliterated within the next five to ten years which would be another great big five banished that is Africa’s heritage unless action is taken immediately to cease the onslaught. Sales in ivory have accumulated over the years due to the diminishing levels of parades.

Religious faiths across Asia value ivory and are willing to pay for it. In China, demand has been met with the construction of major factories to process and produce religious icons. 2011 saw thirty four and a half tons of ivory seized by law enforcement and wildlife management yet China is openly flaunting this trade underneath the noses of International Animal Rescue Foundation and other angered and frustrated environmentalists that are battling to preserve these three to five ton mammals.

International Animal Rescue Foundation is appalled at Tanzania’s approach to now approach (CITES) Convention on Trade in Endangered Species in downgrading the safety of the Elephant as well as holding a one of sale of all seized ivory, this is a smack in the face to all of us that are fighting to preserve their species populations that would also uproot and push all the delicate work that we and others have carried out to preserve this gentle giant. Please view the link here to the story published this month, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/09/tanzania-sell-ivory-stockpile  Although Tanzania states the proceeds would be used primarily for Elephant conservation why one would merely then approach (CITES) to then down grade their level of safety for we do not know?

“It’s ludicrous for Tanzania to even consider applying for permission to cash in on its stockpile - dumping more than 100 tonnes of ivory onto the market will only serve to further confuse consumers as to the legal status of ivory, stimulating fresh demand, spurring the black market and leading to more poaching.”

Ivory sales in China have sky rocketed from 2011 – 2012 of which buyers are lied to that the ivory is an Elephant tooth (of which it is) that falls “naturally” from the Elephants face (which is a blatant devious lie) to increase sales and fool the purchaser.

The same stories and folk tales are told about the Rhinoceros horn thus again fooling those that are approached mainly by sellers in Chinese and Vietnamese hospitals offering them a FAKE cure for cancer, Human immunodeficiency virus, diabetes, (EDS) erectile dysfunction syndrome, dermatitis, arthritis, psoriasis, (NDD) neurological degenerative diseases, (STI) sexually transmitted infections, hyper-tension and more. Rhinoceros horn does not cure any illness, it never has nor never will (FACT).

Poachers use an array of sophisticated to primitive weapons to bring the Elephants down from which have their faces hacked of, heads decapitated to gain better removal of the tusks. (RPG) rocket propelled grenade launchers have been used to high calibre rifles, AK47s, hand grenades, (IED) Improvised explosive devices (primitive handmade mines) that blow the legs of an elephant, axes, chain saws, machetes, and again (M99) – veterinary tranquilisers if they (the Elephants) are in highly protected zones.

International Animal Rescue Foundation has also noticed many sales of ivory online, although many sites are being kept confidential so that all information once gained via investigation is sent to Interpol’s Environmental Crimes unit.  Please view the sites below.

http://www.ymzarts.com/

http://www.ymzarts.com/Products.asp?Id=455

http://www.ymzarts.com/Products.asp?Id=454

http://www.artww.com/32482/Stall-Show-108906

http://www.gzmama.com/thread-1770445-1-1.html (please view the chopsticks, as this is a must have necessity within China, which was said the entire population of African Elephants would not even be able to keep up with this growing demand)

http://beijing.edeng.cn/jiedaotupian/55258489.html (this dealer has since been reported to INTERPOL as he was caught by our counter intelligence team (Operation Trojan Horse) selling Rhinoceros horn.

http://club.pchome.net/thread_6_36_5347273__.html (this dealer we have since reported all findings and contact details as of them selling raw unprocessed Elephant ivory that appeared to be recently poached or smuggled into to China)

http://tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/f22424737

http://tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/e66945446?u=Y7255339631

http://tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/1203078543?u=Y7255339631

http://shanghai.baixing.com/shoucang/a104037552.html

http://changzhou.baixing.com/shoucang/a97162374.html

Please view the documentary video below on National Geo-Graphics interview with the (EIA) Environmental Investigation Agency please also note that although International Animal Rescue Foundation is an extremely secretive organisation choosing only certain “individuals” to work with this is due to serious organised crime that is not your normal domesticated animal abuse.

We work day and night effortlessly to preserve animal welfare, higher animal mortality, create awareness and education, climatological and meteorology research, and more. International Animal Rescue Foundation boasts now some 1.3 million supporters however what we adore to clout more on are those that we aid in putting behind bars that are involved in the senseless and barbaric slaughter of our wildlife.

International Animal Rescue Foundation will be launching soon this month (October) its first ever fundraising drive since founded. The fundraising drive we are very proud and excited about of which will be ploughing funds into South Africa were they are needed for the following.

• Conservation preservation
• Botanical preservation and upkeep
• Awareness and education worldwide
• Agriculture and reserve security
• Repairing the Kruger National Park fence
• The construction of a ranger school
• Advanced ranger security equipment
• Secure airwave communication devices
• Drones
• Narcotics and wildlife trained canine unit
• Anti-poacher recruitment from inside the European Union to aid African APU
• African wildlife social adult education gatherings
• Purchasing of a fixed wing aircraft of which we hope to donate to an African APU
• Marine research and preservation
• Endangered species preservation
• After school clubs
• Media awareness
• Security control
• Pamphlet and distribution throughout the European Union

Plus much more

For more information please email us at info@international-animalrescue-foundation.org.uk