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Kenya to burn ivory weighing over 120 tonnes

Xinhua, April 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenya says it has made progress in fighting elephant poaching as it schedules a ceremony to burn ivory stockpiles late this month.

The country is scheduled to burn its last stockpiles of ivory weighing over 120 tonnes in the ceremony due on April 29 and 30 to show its zero tolerance for poaching and illegal ivory trade.

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Judy Wakhungu, on Wednesday said "the high number of elephant calves" in the country's conservation areas was an indication of the progress.

Elephant poaching cases have reduced from 184 in 2012 to 96 in 2015, according to the official.

She said the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) had developed a 10-year conservation and management strategy to protect elephants in the country.

However she said the African elephants were still facing threats including poaching, conflict with humans, loss and fragmentation of habitat, as well as overabundance in some areas.

Wakhungu said President Uhuru Kenyatta would attend the ceremony and torch the ivory.

The KWS estimates the ivory stockpiles to be burned represent the death of around 4,000 elephants, either dying naturally or killed by poachers.

Artists including Leonardo Di Caprio, Nicole Kidman and Elton John, business tycoons George Soros, Paul Allen, Howard Buffet and Michael Bloomberg, as well as former basketball player Yao Ming are also expected to attend the event. Endit