On the Trail - Robin des Bois

Seizure of 28 kg of ivory
Bujumbura International Airport, Burundi
July 27 th , 2013
The ivory was discovered in a handbag belonging
to a Guinean man. The man, a resident of Burundi,
was about to leave for Lomé. This tends to confirm
suspicions that the Togolese capital holds a key
role for dispatching ivory from Western Africa. The
spokesperson for the national police explained that
the “the individual was interrogated. The objective
is to trace the entire network and to work together
with the police of other countries in order to fight
this international crime.”
Seizure of an elephant tusk
Andheri, Central Development Region, Nepal
July 28 th , 2013
The trafficker, a Chinese citizen, was arrested along
the Araniko highway. His arrest followed the routine
check of his vehicle. The authorities regularly
carry out seizures of protected species along this
route and its crossroads. The 6 th and 18 th of last May,
pangolin scales were seized there. The man, coming
from Kathmandu, was heading towards Tatopani
(Central Development Region) at the Chinese
border.
Seizure of 70 elephant tusks (305 kg)
District of Kisarawe, Region of Pwani, Tanzania
July 28 th , 2013
Among the 9 people questioned, 2 were police officers.
They were posted at the police post of Oyster
Bay in Dar Es Salaam. The seizure represents the
poaching of 35 elephants. The value is estimated
at 525,000. Kisarawe is close to the Selous Game
Reserve. The reserve is registered on the list of natural
US$ world heritage property by UNESCO. It
covers 50,000 km 2 and is home to elephants, black
rhinoceroses, giraffes, cheetahs, crocodiles… The
reserve presents itself as the largest concentration
of hippopotamuses and buffalos in the world.
Poaching of an elephant
Raja Nagar, State of Odisha, India
July 30 th , 2013
The old solitary “tusker”, around 60-70 years old,
has been electrocuted by bandits after being pushed
into a fence in a field of sugar cane during the
night. The elephant ended up dying by dawn. Some
farmers witnessing the scene gave the alert, and
prevented the poachers from sawing off the tusks.
Trying to protect their jobs, services in charge of
the protection of the forest neighbouring the Athagarh
suggested the animal died of old age. However
no one from the public or the press believes this
version of the story.
Arrest of 3 people suspected of intent to poach
Narok, Narok County, Kenya
July 30 th , 2013
3 men were arrested in a lodge. The owner of the
lodge informed the authorities of the presence of
the armed men in his establishment. The suspects
were equipped with a gun, an axe, 2 saws, and night
vision goggles. They were most likely in the Maasai
Mara Reserve to poach elephants.
One of the suspects was an old ranger with the Kenya
Wildlife Service. He was fired from his position
after an arrest for poaching rhinoceroses. A wanted
notice against him was sent out after he failed to
appear at his trial in Nanyuki (Rift Valley).
Seizure of 4 elephant tusks (35 kg)
Gatundu, Kiambu County, Kenya
July 31 st , 2013
The fake buyers, real police officers, agreed with
vendors for an appointment to negotiate and close
the sale. Poachers then brought the tusks. The adult
elephants may have been slaughtered in the Kinare
forest, near the Aberdare National Park.
FamILY AFFAIRS
Seizure of 50.2 kg of ivory
Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, Vietnam
July 31, 2013
The Vietnamese couple with 3 children landed from
an airliner coming from Russia. In their luggage, 8
tusks of unequal size were accompanied by 2000
Marlboro packs.
© Thanh Nien News
Poaching of 2 elephants
Khorixas, Kunene Region, Namibia
July 2013
A dead elephant was found near a home. The owner
claimed to have killed it in self-defence. However, a
few days later in the same area, a second elephant
was found dead without tusks. This macabre discovery
revived the investigation into the death of
the first elephant. Desert elephants of the Kunene
region have been decimated by poaching in the
1980s. In 1998, the first herd of elephants came
back. Today 7 groups are present in the area. The
total population is about 600 specimens. The cohabitation
with humans is a source of conflict.
Poaching of 4 elephants
Tsavo Conservation Area, South-East Kenya
July 2013
The rangers of KWS noticed an evolution in the
methods of action taken by poaches. In order not
to call attention to the gunshots, they were using
poisoned arrows more and more. To return to these
places, they rented boda-bodas. These bikes or
stealthy motorcycle taxis waited in place for the
end of the poaching operations to bring the thieves
and their spoils to the Muangu and Mackinoon
townships along the Nairobi-Monbassa expressway.
At least one boda-boda owner has been
On The Trail # 2. Robin des Bois
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