African elephants could be extinct in wild within decades say experts
African elephants could be extinct in wild within decades say experts
The Africa Elephant Summit being held in Botswana hears of alarming drop in numbers due to poaching
Agence France-Presse
Monday 23 March 2015 23.42 EDT Last modified on Monday 23 March 2015 23.54 EDT
African elephants could be extinct in the wild within a few decades, experts warned at a major conservation summit in Botswana that highlighted an alarming decline in numbers due to poaching for ivory.
The Africa Elephant Summit, held at a tourist resort in Kasane, gathered delegates from about 20 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia, including China – which is accused of fuelling the illegal poaching trade.
“This species could be extinct in our lifetime, within one or two decades, if the current trend continues,” Dune Ives, senior researcher at Vulcan, a philanthropic organisation run by US billionaire Paul Allen, said.
“In five years we may have lost the opportunity to save this magnificent and iconic animal.”
The conference heard latest figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which reported that the African elephant population had dropped from 550,000 in 2006 to 470,000 in 2013.
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