Anti-poaching campaigns see price of ivory fall by 75pc

Global ivory prices have dropped by 75 per cent as a result of intensifying campaigns, which have seen those caught engaging in the illegal trade face stiffer fines and jail terms.

Peter Knights, the executive director of Wild Aid — an international anti-poaching organisation — said that the price of a kilogramme of ivory in China has fallen from Sh150,000 ($1,500) to Sh38,000 ($380) over the past 18 months as traders rush to get rid of their stockpiles.

Mr Knights was speaking during the Hearts and Minds campaign launched locally by the anti-poaching organisation in collaboration with Kenya-based Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

Radio personality Caroline Mutoko and actress Lupita Nyong’o are ambassadors of the campaign which is aimed at encouraging locals to be actively involved in the conservation of wildlife.

The campaign has adopted the slogan When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too. It seeks to stigmatise ivory dealers and buyers in the hope of ending the trade.

Mr Knights said collective conservation efforts and global campaigns had encouraged Asian countries to put in place stringent measures to stop the trade.

“Ivory traders in Asia are not happy with the turn of events. We have also won the hearts of the people because as we speak 95 per cent of the Chinese public are now in favour of an ivory sales ban,” he said.

The launch of the local campaign comes a day to the burning of 106 tonnes of ivory recovered from suspected poachers at airports and harbours, natural deaths and finished ornamental products.

The burning is aimed at showing Kenya’s commitment to wildlife protection, especially elephants which have been targeted for their tusks.

“The campaign is aimed at getting Kenyans to act in favour of the ecosystem and our heritage, which is everyone’s responsibility to conserve,” said KWS director-general Kitili Mbathi.

Wildlife conservation campaigns have seen the number of elephants poached drop from 384 in 2012 to 93 in 2015.

“If we lose our elephants and other wildlife to this threat, it will not be because we lacked the knowledge or tools to save them but because we all failed to take ownership of our wildlife heritage,” said Daudi Sumba, an AWF official.