reportagebygettyimages:‘In June the Tanzanian government announced that the country has lost
reportagebygettyimages: ‘In June the Tanzanian government announced that the country has lost 60 percent of its elephants in the past five years, down from 110,000 to fewer than 44,000. During the same period, neighboring Mozambique is reported to have lost 48 percent of its elephants. Locals, including poor villagers and unpaid park rangers, are killing elephants for cash—a risk they’re willing to take because even if they’re caught, the penalties are often negligible. But in central Africa..something more sinister is driving the killing: Militias and terrorist groups funded in part by ivory are poaching elephants, often outside their home countries, and even hiding inside national parks. They’re looting communities, enslaving people, and killing park rangers who get in their way.’ - Bryan Christy, National Geographic Efforts to stop elephant poaching often focus solely on the decimation of Africa’s elephant population. While the numbers are truly alarming, they don’t tell the whole story of the devastating effect of poaching on human lives. Reportage photographer Brent Stirton, in his latest story for National Geographic, examines the complex and shifting conflict. See more photos and read the full article ‘How Killing Elephants Finances Terror in Africa’ on National Geographic. -- source link