'Elephants in the Dust' report - UNEP
'Elephants in the Dust' report - UNEP
'Elephants in the Dust' report - UNEP
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PIKE <strong>in</strong>dex<br />
PIKE <strong>in</strong>dex<br />
PIKE <strong>in</strong>dex<br />
PIKE <strong>in</strong>dex<br />
West Africa<br />
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011<br />
Central Africa<br />
Eastern Africa<br />
Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Africa<br />
2012<br />
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012<br />
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r African sub-regions. Some of <strong>the</strong> MIKE sites <strong>in</strong> Central<br />
Afric a are also UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as <strong>the</strong><br />
Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Salonga National Park and Virunga<br />
National Park <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),<br />
where all <strong>the</strong> elephant carcasses found on patrols <strong>in</strong> 2011 were<br />
identified as hav<strong>in</strong>g been illegally killed (CITES 2012a). Ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
World Heritage Site <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> DRC is <strong>the</strong> Kahuzi-Biega National<br />
Park where <strong>the</strong> elephant population has been reduced to<br />
just 20 <strong>in</strong>dividuals due to armed conflicts that have persisted<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> eastern part of <strong>the</strong> country (CITES 2012a).<br />
Based on this data it is calculated that 14 per cent of <strong>the</strong><br />
entire elephant population <strong>in</strong> MIKE sites <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Central African<br />
sub-region were killed <strong>in</strong> 2011 (CITES 2012a). Aga<strong>in</strong>, this percentage<br />
is much higher than any o<strong>the</strong>r region <strong>in</strong> Africa and is<br />
double <strong>the</strong> rate at which healthy elephant populations are able<br />
to replenish <strong>the</strong>mselves. These estimates are backed by o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
<strong>report</strong>s from <strong>the</strong> region, which <strong>in</strong>dicate similar or worse numbers<br />
(Bouché et al. 2010; 2011; Poilecot 2010). Notably, a recent<br />
survey of <strong>the</strong> Sudano-Sahelian zone of <strong>the</strong> Central African subregion<br />
(<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g nor<strong>the</strong>rn Cameroon and nor<strong>the</strong>rn parts of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Central African Republic) estimates a 76 per cent decl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>in</strong> elephant populations over <strong>the</strong> last two decades (Bouché et<br />
al. 2011). In January 2012, a hundred or so raiders travelled<br />
on horseback across <strong>the</strong> border from Chad <strong>in</strong>to Bouba Njdida<br />
Nationa l Park <strong>in</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn Cameroon and killed between<br />
200–300 elephants, <strong>in</strong> an episode that received much media<br />
attention (TRAFFIC 2012). Ano<strong>the</strong>r hundred elephants were<br />
killed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> park <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> months follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial raid and<br />
it is estimated that half of <strong>the</strong> park’s elephant population were<br />
killed <strong>in</strong> 2012, possibly more (WWF 2012). M<strong>in</strong>kébé National<br />
Park <strong>in</strong> Gabon is home to African forest elephants, and has been<br />
show<strong>in</strong>g very high PIKE levels <strong>in</strong> recent years. In February 2013,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Gabon government released a <strong>report</strong> estimat<strong>in</strong>g that about<br />
two-thirds of <strong>the</strong> park’s elephant population (more than 11,000<br />
elephants) have been killed s<strong>in</strong>ce 2004 (Parcs Gabon 2013).<br />
In West Africa, small and fragmented elephant populations<br />
yield few carcasses, and as a result of small sample sizes, poach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
trends based on PIKE values are ra<strong>the</strong>r less reliable than<br />
<strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r sub-regions. Never<strong>the</strong>less, an <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g trend <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
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2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011<br />
Note: vertical bars represent 95% confidence <strong>in</strong>terval.<br />
2012<br />
Figure 10: Proportion of illegally killed elephants at African<br />
MIKE sites <strong>in</strong> 2011.<br />
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