Poaching of African elephants has dropped since 2011, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications. This is largely due to China’s reduced demand for ivory, but the variation in their numbers is also associated with poverty and corruption.
Therefore, while enforcing anti-poaching laws will help curb elephant slaughter, the researchers suggest that an extensive socioeconomic strategy to improve livelihoods and awareness around protected areas could be more effective.
In the early 2000s, African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) populations in protected and non-protected areas dropped by a third. Increases in illegal ivory shipments and elephants found dead from poaching led to concerted international efforts to curb the ivory trade.
Severin Hauenstein, from the University of Freiburg in Germany, and colleagues set out to evaluate how effective the conservation interventions have been.
The researchers analyzed carcass data from 53 African Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) sites across sub-Saharan Africa between 2002 and 2017. They found that the annual mortality rate from poaching reached 10% in 2011 then dropped to less than 4% by 2017.
The decline was correlated with reduced demand for ivory in Chinese markets. But in some areas, elephant populations were doing better than others. The researchers linked these differences to levels of poverty – calculated via infant mortality and poverty density – and corruption, using a perceived corruption index.
The team, which includes scientists from the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), says these socioeconomic factors need to be addressed, writing that “Africa’s elephant populations remain threatened without continued reductions in poaching.”
Elephant conservation is a critical issue. These “charismatic megafauna” not only attract ecotourism; they play vital roles in African savannah and forest ecosystems.
An estimated 350,000 elephants are left in Africa, but around 10-15,000 are killed each year by poachers. Co-author Colin Beale from the University of York says, “We are seeing a downturn in poaching, which is obviously positive news, but it is still above what we think is sustainable.”
Hauenstein also warns that, while the trend is encouraging, “we should not see this as an end to the poaching crisis”.
China introduced an ivory ban in 2017, but it’s unclear how effective it was as poaching started to decline beforehand. The researchers speculate that a downturn in China’s economy might also have played a role, suggesting that continued efforts are needed - and local factors can’t be ignored.
“We need to reduce demand in Asia and improve the livelihoods of people who are living with elephants in Africa; these are the two biggest targets to ensure the long-term survival of elephants,” says Beale.
Lisa Rolls Hagelberg from the UN’s Environment Program says communication is also pivotal.
“Ensuring a future with wild elephants, and myriad other species, will require stronger laws and enforcement efforts and genuine community engagement. However, as long as demand exists supply will find a way to quench it.”
“For long-term success,” she adds, “governments need to prioritize comprehensive social and behavioral change interventions to both prevent and reduce demand. We have the know-how, now we need to invest to truly influence environmental consciousness.”
