~* Why Elephants Matter *~ "There are ecological and moral considerations related to the survival of species, but with so many people throughout the world suffering from war and privation, it is fair to ask why we should care about elephants. The reason: There is a tangible connection between wildlife trafficking and human security. The criminal syndicates know what makes cash: Ivory is more profitable than heroin or raw diamonds. A kilogram of ivory can fetch up to $3,000 in final markets but only costs between $100 and $300 to acquire in range states. Their threat to states metastasizes like cancer. It takes a gun to bring down an elephant. When the elephants are killed off, followed by other wildlife, men who make their living by the gun turn to other illicit activities, menacing civilian populations and government authorities that get in their way. In East Africa, the multibillion dollar tourist economies, decades in the making, are at risk. Tanzania’s elephant herd is being slaughtered, with an estimated 50 percent of the population killed in the last six years. As Tanzanian President Kikwete recently put it, “We are under attack.” For the United States and its partners, these conflicts are no longer local." newswatch.nationalgeographic/2013/09/25/why-elephants-matter/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ng%2FNEWSBlogs%2FNat_Geo_News_Watch+%28News+Watch%29
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 19:11:58 +0000
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