WWF - WWF Central Africa office, Cameroon

Elephants in search of safe havens

2013-06-14

By Fidelis Pegue Manga

From the small town of Buea at the foot of the Fako Mountain, in the southwest of Cameroon, where I was born and grew up, I remember perceiving the image of elephants during moonlit nights filing past on the mountain slope. I thought the Njokou, as the elephant is called in the dialect of the Bakweri indigenous people who live near the mountain, were gargantuan, mysterious creatures, elusive and cruel. That was some 23 years ago.

When I joined WWF-Cameroon as communications officer for the Jengi Southeast Forest Program in 2006, coming from the press, I was anxious to 'meet this mysterious creature.' "There are many elephants in the east," a colleague had whispered to me as I assembled my luggage to leave for southeast Cameroon. "They visit villages and rub shoulders with local people," he grinned.

Dreaming?

My closest contact with the forest elephant came in March 2006 when I accompanied an elephant tagging team to Nki National Park, a pristine, hilly forest wilderness teeming then with wildlife in east Cameroon. After hiking for four days, we got to a marshy Bai (forest clearing) called Ikwa, deep inside the park. Behold 28 elephants and four calves communed with buffalos, sitatunga antelope and gorillas in the clearing. I stood stultified some 20 metres away watching calves stick to their mothers who pampered and cuddled them. I left Ikwa that evening feeling fulfilled.

Three months later, June 2006, I went to Djembe, a base camp inside Lobeke National Park. As we rested for the night we heard the deafening sound of elephant footsteps. As we settled for breakfast in the morning, one of the elephants trudged out from the nearby bush and began feeding on Indian bamboos. The bull stayed on for 43 minutes before sauntering off.

Fast forward 2013

The presence of elephants in clearings and other areas of parks in southeast Cameroon in 2006 did not mean this charismatic mega vertebrate was totally beyond reach of the poachers' bullets. Thanks to a small group of 45 forest rangers recruited with the support of WWF, elephants remained relatively safe. But later events in the region would dwarf rangers' efforts to ensure their protection. The ramifications of war in neighbouring Republic of Congo and Central African Republic began being felt. In 2008, AK-47 (Kalachnikovs) fell in the hands of poachers. The consequence was an increase in the number of elephants killed, as well as ivory and Kalashnikovs seized. Poorly equipped and unarmed rangers found it difficult to face up to poachers.

Now elephants are facing pressure from all sides. Encounters in forest clearings have become rare. The estimated 2,500 elephants in Lobeke dropped to 1,750 between 2006 and 2009. A visit to the Ikwa clearing in Nki National Park in 2011 revealed the havoc inflicted by poachers. We found the stinking decaying body of a calf lying close to its mother. This was a debilitating sight that dampened my spirit and sapped my proverbial enthusiasm. In Buea, the situation isn't better as the small home range of elephants that used to number 200 in 1980s has dropped to an estimated 50. The filing elephants are now hard to see on the moonlit mountain slope.

However, there is no turning back now. Concerted actions by conservation organizations and a recent move by the UN Security Council recognizing ivory trafficking as an international crime bring some rays of hope. The Cameroon government is now taking the issue of ivory trafficking seriously by deploying elite soldiers to support forest rangers during anti-poaching operations. Should these efforts be sustained, there are glimmers of hope the world's largest mammal will survive this lethal threat to its existence.

UN chief takes poaching concerns to Security Council

2013-05-29

The United Nations Security Council today will be briefed on the severe and escalating threat to peace and security posed by Central Africa's heavily-armed elephant poaching gangs.

In a report to the world's highest international security body, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, "Poaching and its potential linkages to other criminal, even terrorist, activities constitute a grave menace to sustainable peace and security in Central Africa."

The Secretary-General's report highlights increasing links between elephant poaching, weapons proliferation and regional insecurity. "Illegal ivory trade may currently constitute an important source of funding for armed groups," the report says. "Also of concern is that poachers are using more and more sophisticated and powerful weapons, some of which, it is believed, might be originating from the fallout in Libya."

"The spread of cross-border poaching in Central Africa and its links to sophisticated armed groups is alarming. We have seen the devastating impact of this crime in too many countries," said WWF International Director General Jim Leape. "I echo Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's deep concern for the security of the region."

Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa and on the Lord's Resistance Army-affected areas was made available in advance of a dedicated Security Council session to be held at UN headquarters in New York this morning.

The report references a steep decline in Central African elephant populations over the past decade and observes that multiple mass slaughters of the animals have been reported in protected areas in recent months. Poachers seeking ivory are believed to be responsible for elephant massacres in Chad, Cameroon, Gabon and Central African Republic.

"The situation has become so serious," Ban writes, that national military responses have become necessary "to hunt down poachers". The Secretary-General urges Central African governments to respond to the major national and regional security concerns posed by poaching through "concerted and coordinated action."

Leape said: "To ensure peace, security and prosperity in Central Africa, efforts must be taken at the highest level to combat wildlife trafficking. I urge the governments of Central Africa to strengthen enforcement and criminal justice responses to wildlife crime and to address the linkages between it and other international crimes."

The WWF Director General tomorrow will join Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba and African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka to examine the threat of illicit wildlife trafficking to sustainable economic development in Africa. The discussion will take place as part of the African Development Bank's annual meetings in Marrakech, Morocco and is expected to be attended by government and institutional officials from across the continent.

Twenty wildlife criminals arrested in Cameroon

2013-04-30

Yokadouma, South-East Cameroun

Cameroonian authorities arrested 20 suspected wildlife criminals and confiscated 45 guns during a ten-day operation that targeted elephant poachers in the southeast of the country. Thirty-nine forest rangers, backed by 25 soldiers of the country's rapid intervention battalion carried out the operation which lasted from April 15 to 26, 2013.

Of those arrested, two suspects caught with an AK47 will stand trial in a military tribunal. The local justice department formally charged 18 other suspects, seven of whom were remanded to custody while the remaining 11 were released on bail. During the operation, rangers also seized two ivory tusks, as well as gorilla, chimp and elephant meat.

Clashes

During the operations, a suspect, who threatened to fire at rangers, was shot in the leg. Another, who attempted to harm an eco-guard with a machete, was wounded in the left arm.

Djogo Toumouksala, East Regional Delegate for the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife for the east region of Cameroon, told WWF the objectives of the operation were largely attained.

"With the seizure of 45 arms, 337 ammunitions, 10 chainsaws and more than 3000 wire cables, we have inflicted a heavy blow on wildlife criminals," he said.

"Their ability to wreak havoc on elephants and other species has been curtailed."

"Though this region is rich in wildlife, it is constantly menaced by the proliferation of arms," Tomouksala added, promising more such operations in the future.

Arms circulation

The operation comes at the backdrop of armed conflict in neighboring Central African Republic. Conservationists fear a rise in the circulation of war arms in the southeast of Cameroon putting elephants and people in danger.

"If there is one lesson this operation has taught us, it is that poachers are well armed and do not hesitate to shoot at ecoguards," said Gilles Etoga, WWF Project Manager for Boumba-Bek and Nki National Parks, in the area where the operations were held.

"We do not have a full measure of the degree of wildlife carnage in southeast Cameroon – the forests here are some of the most inaccessible areas on earth outside of Antarctica."

"But our information leads us to believe that poaching is a serious – and constant – problem in the region."

Although precise numbers of surviving individuals are difficult to come by, elephant poaching began increasing dramatically in 2008 – tracking a worldwide increase in ivory prices. However, a recent study shows that poachers, who increasingly use automatic weapons such as AK47s, have decimated 62 percent of the Congo Basin's forest elephants in the past ten years.

Wildlife criminals need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law

Alain Ononino, who heads WWF's wildlife law enforcement program in Cameroon, urged local authorities to follow-up on these arrests by ensuring that those proven guilty will be punished for their crimes.

"This is an opportunity for Cameron to show the whole world and all those involved in elephant poaching and illegal wildlife trade that it is serious about stamping out this activity," he said.

"Under Cameroonian law, whoever is caught in possession of live or dead protected species – including its parts – is considered to have killed this animal and can thus be punished by up to three years in prison."

"Cameroon's judicial authorities should prosecute all these suspects to the full extent of the law," Ononino concluded.

UN recognizes severity of wildlife crimes

2013-04-26

Governments meeting to discuss responses to global crime waves are urging countries to impose strict penalties for the trafficking wildlife products like elephant ivory and rhino horn. Members of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Friday passed a resolution encouraging UN member states "to make illicit trafficking in wild fauna and flora a serious crime" and to ensure organized criminal groups are prosecuted.

Under UN rules, serious crimes should receive sentences of up to four years in prison or more. In many instances wildlife smugglers are released after paying fines significantly lower than the value of the illegal goods.

"Today the commissioners took a critical step forward by recognizing the serious, transnational and organized nature of wildlife and forest crime. These crimes are not only putting the survival of endangered species in peril, but are also threatening security and sustainable economic development," said Wendy Elliott, leader of WWF's campaign against wildlife crime. "We urge governments worldwide to use every tool available to combat these crimes, which are also taking human lives."

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN

During the crime commission meeting, governments identified links between the illegal trade in wildlife and timber products and other transnational organized crimes such as drug and arms running, human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism. The wildlife trafficking resolution was put forward by the United States and Peru.

Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, told journalists, "Wildlife and forest crimes must be treated as serious crimes with minimum punishments of four years or more so that full force of deterrence can be used against criminals. The harder task, however, will be to curb the demand."

The poaching of elephants and rhinos has reached record levels across Africa, but increased law enforcement effectiveness is also needed throughout the trade chain and in consumer countries like China, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Up to 30,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory tusks. In poaching epicentre Central Africa, governments will meet next week to address the ongoing security crisis, which is exacerbated by the proliferation of heavily-armed poachers.

"We are seeing that the killing of wildlife is increasingly connected to horrific violence against the rangers and community-members standing between these criminals and their targets. It is long overdue for the punishments to fit the crimes in these cases," Elliott said.

Governments also agreed to a proposal from Norway to address crimes at sea that impact upon the environment, including fisheries crimes. Illegal fishing undermines efforts by governments and responsible fishers to sustainably manage fisheries. It also threatens livelihoods, food security and sustainable development, and costs the global economy US $23 billion annually.

FSC certification in Cameroon surpasses 1 million hectares

2013-03-27

Yaoundé, Cameroon – The total Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified area in Cameroon has exceeded 1 million hectares with the certification of new areas managed by the Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé, a Rougier subsidiary and participant in WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN).

The newly certified areas, covering 285,667 ha, are located in the Mbang area of eastern Cameroon, home to the Baka community, considered among the oldest residents of Cameroon's rainforests. These forests are also rich in biodiversity. This award marks the first substantial increase of FSC certified area in the Congo Basin in several years.

"We congratulate Rougier on this achievement and salute their commitments to responsible forest management in the Congo Basin. It's also important Rougier and Cameroonian authorities work together to maintain elephant populations in these forests, considering the recent documented massacres in the Congo Basin," said Daniel Tiveau, Regional GFTN Manager for Central Africa.

FSC is the best forest management assurance system available, and is recognized as the top level of commitment by leading environmental groups operating within the tropical forest industry.

FSC certification ensures the forest management is 1) environmentally appropriate – protecting and maintaining natural communities and high conservation value forests 2) socially beneficial – respecting the rights of workers, communities and indigenous peoples and 3) economically viable – building markets, adding best value and creating equitable access to benefits.

WWF/GFTN has supported Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé since October 2009 in establishing an action plan to achieve FSC certification, supporting local and indigenous peoples on community development, building the capacity of the Local Consultation Framework (Comité Paysan Forêts), and has provided training on conflict resolution.

In working toward FSC certification, the company has improved its internal management procedures through better documentation of its work, and has undergone third party assessment.

"Many years ago, Rougier entered into a voluntary process of certification in which the group invested heavily to enhance its production on the international market. Through our efforts in matters of certification, we wish to consolidate our positions on the developing markets for certified products," said Rougier CEO Francis Rougier.

WWF is currently undertaking research to identify barriers for forest certification and is committed to helping companies overcome them.

"Managing forests responsibly is the best way to ensure a better future for people and biodiversity, and buying certified products from the Congo Basin is the best way markets can influence forest management in the region," Tiveau said.

Poachers kill at least 89 elephants in Chad

2013-03-19

Yaoundé, Cameroon - At least 89 elephants were killed by poachers last week in Chad, according to local officials, in one of the region's worst poaching incidents since the massacre of over 300 elephants in Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida National Park in February 2012.

According to Chadian government authorities, at least 89 elephants were killed on the night of March 14 – 15 near the town of Ganba in southern Chad.

Among those killed were 33 pregnant females and 15 calves.

The poachers, which rode on horseback, numbered around 50 and spoke Arabic, the officials said, adding that the Chadian army had been dispatched to stop these criminals.

"This tragedy shows once again the existential threat faced by Central Africa's elephants," according to Bas Huijbregts, Head of the Central Africa strand of WWF's campaign against illegal wildlife trade.

"This incident in Chad highlights the need for a regional approach to fight poachers, one that needs to be implemented on the ground as urgently as possible to stop these poachers," Huijbregts said.

The governments of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad will be meeting in Yaoundé this week to develop a regional anti-poaching strategy.

"We urge governments to start putting in place this plan as early as next week, to safeguard the region's last elephants and rid it of this poaching threat once and for all," Huijbregts said.

"At its root, though, it is ending demand for ivory in countries like Thailand and China which will ensure the survival of Central Africa's elephants," Huijbregts added.

This month's Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which closed last week, saw decisions from world governments to start taking action against countries doing little or nothing to stop the illegal ivory and rhino horn trades.

Governments mandated China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – the countries of highest concern in terms of their failure to clamp down on large-scale illegal ivory trade - to submit time-bound plans to deal with the problem in two months, and make progress before the next CITES meeting in summer of 2014.

Éléphants trouvés morts lors d'un inventaire faunique au Cameroun

2013-03-08

Ngoyla, au sud-Cameroun (8 mars 2013) - Les carcasses de 23 éléphants tués pour leur ivoire ont été découvertes durant un inventaire faunique dans le parc national de Nki dans le sud-est Cameroun à la fin de février, le chef de projet du WWF Zacharie Nzooh a déclaré vendredi, un rappel que les éléphants font face à une menace existentielle dans le bassin du Congo.

« Entre le 10 février et le premier mars, nous avons trouvé 23 carcasses d'éléphants sans défenses - preuve du braconnage - sur une distance de 70 kilomètres dans le Parc national de Nki, » a-t-il dit.

« A titre de comparaison, durant le dernier inventaire en 2006, nous avons trouvé trois carcasses sans leurs défenses sur une distance de 258 kilomètres, » a expliqué Nzooh.

Les éléphants d'Afrique centrale sont menacés pour leur ivoire. Une étude publiée mardi montre que les braconniers ont tué 62 pour cent des éléphants de forêt dans la région au cours des 10 dernières années.

« Pour vous donner une idée de cette situation de crise, durant la même période à la fin de février cinq carcasses d'éléphants sans défenses ont été trouvées dans le parc national de Lobéké durant une patrouille de routine d'écogardes » Nzooh a dit, ajoutant que les populations d'éléphants dans le parc était tombées à 1750 en 2009 contre 2100 en 2002.

Il a expliqué que beaucoup de ces carcasses dans Nki et Lobéké ont été trouvées à 10 mètres les uns des autres, un signe que les braconniers avaient utilisé des fusils automatiques, tel des AK-47, reflétant le caractère plus violent du braconnage d'éléphants comparé à il ya quelques années.

Bien que les gardes forestiers fassent de leur mieux pour gérer la situation du braconnage, Nzooh a dit, « ils ont peur, et à juste titre. »

« Le manque d'armes, ainsi que des ressources et soutiens publiques limités empêchent les gardes forestiers à arrêter ce carnage. »

Une augmentation de la demande pour l'ivoire pousse les prix à des niveaux records, et encourage beaucoup plus de personnes à faire partie de cette activité criminelle.

« En fin de compte, le braconnage des éléphants ne s'arrêtera que lorsque la demande d'ivoire s'arrête, » a déclaré Nzooh.

Les conclusions de l'inventaire de la faune dans le parc national de Nki sera publié en avril, at-il ajouté, en s'inquiétant déjà de ce que les résultats vont montrer.

Pour plus d'informations et de renseignements, veuillez contacter Fidelis Manga du WWF à fmanga@wwf.panda.org ou +237 22 99 30 36.

"They are after our elephants"

2012-12-18

Bouba N'Djida National Park, Cameroon - Fifty kilometers from Chad's border, at the edge of North Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida National Park, speaking to media, General Martin Tumenta does not mince his words.

"We are not dealing with ordinary poachers," he told a group of national and international reporters.

"They are highly armed, they have heavy machine guns, automatic rifles... they wear uniforms, they are organized and they are after our elephants."

"What we are dealing with is an army, platoon, battalion, that does not hesitate to cross our borders to rob it of its natural heritage."

"My job, to preserve the territorial integrity and biodiversity of our country," the general, who heads military operations in the North of the country, said as he announced over the weekend Cameroon's decision to mobilize over 600 soldiers and a helicopter of its elite Bataillon d´Intervention Rapide (BIR – Rapid Intervention Battalion) to stop poachers from entering its territory to kill elephants for their ivory.

The move was in response to an incident earlier this year when Sudanese poachers travelled more than 1,000 km on horseback from northern Sudan across the Central African Republic and Chad to kill over 300 elephants in Bouba N'Djida National Park.

According to WWF sources, several groups of these poachers have decided to return earlier than usual this year in order to take advantage of the greater ground cover available during the rainy season and to catch the park guards by surprise by arriving sooner than expected.

Cameroon's announcement of its military response was immediately applauded by WWF International Director General Jim Leape, who called it a "bold and courageous move, and sets a new standard for other governments in the front line of deterring wildlife poaching and trafficking."

"WWF would like to congratulate the president of Cameroon for the decision to deploy special forces to protect vulnerable areas, people and elephants from heavily armed foreign poaching gangs."

"That incident [in Bouba N'Djida earlier this year] underlines the fact that poaching and illegal wildlife trade has become an issue of national security, with serious consequences for a country's economic and social prospects," Leape said in a statement.

The killing of Africa's elephants for their ivory has a long history. Between 1970 and 1989 half of Africa's elephants – perhaps 700,000 individuals – were killed due to illegal wildlife trade.

More recently, elephant poaching and related illegal wildlife trade is estimated to have decimated half of Central Africa's remaining elephants between 1995 and 2007. And the rate of killing of elephants has steeply increased since then.

At the root of the problem lies skyrocketing demand for ivory, a consequence of rising incomes in Southeast and East Asia, coupled with cultural attitudes to this good. One elephant can represent a multiple of the average annual income of many in Central Africa.

The increase of large scale ivory seizures of African ivory both in Africa, but much more in Asia, is evidence of the growing involvement of organized crime in the illegal trade in wildlife. This activity has become a transnational crime involving significant violence, which is destabilizing societies and jeopardizing the reputations of African countries as good places to invest and do business.

Left unaddressed, wildlife crime undermines governments' efforts to halt other related illicit trades, such as arms and drug trafficking, facilitates the growth of organized crime, and adds fuel to regional conflicts.

The operation, entitled "Peace at Bouba N'Djida", will cover an area of around 12,000 square kilometers, including and surrounding the park of about 200,000 hectares, which is patrolled by teams of the BIR's anti-terrorism brigades at all times. All activities should be seen as support to the sixty ecogards in the region, who do not have the capacity to face this new threat, Tumenta said.

Since it began about a month ago, "there have not been any signs of poachers," he said, adding that the BIR would remain in the area until the poachers had given up on their target.

"These forces will be permanently, I say permanently, and I repeat permanently, in this territory."

"I advise [the poachers], in light of the resources at our disposal, not to step foot in this country," Tumenta concluded.

"Let us hope that Cameroon's emphatic response to this latest threat will be enough to dissuade poaching gangs from crossing into their territory," Leape added.

WWF is campaigning for greater protection of threatened species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants. In order to save endangered animals, source, transit and demand countries must all improve law enforcement, customs controls and judicial systems. WWF is also urging governments in consumer countries to undertake demand reduction efforts to curb the use of endangered species products.

Cameroon sends army to defend borders from Sudanese poachers

2012-11-16

Cameroon announced Friday it has mobilized its special forces units to prevent Sudanese poachers from entering its territory to hunt elephants for their ivory, in an operation it called "a first of its kind". WWF congratulates the Cameroonian government for taking concrete steps to address poaching and illegal wildlife trade, a lucrative criminal activity that undermines the sovereignty, security and economic prospects of the Central African region.

According to information obtained by WWF, this is the same group of poachers that in early 2012 travelled more than 1,000 km on horseback from northern Sudan across the Central African Republic and Chad to kill over 300 elephants in the Bouba N'Djida National Park in northern Cameroon. This information says that the group had decided to return earlier than usual this year in order to take advantage of the greater ground cover available during the rainy season and to catch the park guards by surprise by arriving sooner than expected.

On Friday, high ranking officials of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), Cameroon's special forces, told WWF that the high command had as a priority "the conservation and valorization of biodiversity, including the fight against cross-border poaching."

"We are committed to avoid a repeat of the elephant massacre of early 2012," a BIR official said. "We are already on the ground, we know the poachers are coming, and we have forces deployed in the reserves."

"It is highly unfortunate that the military had to be called in to address this situation, but the reality is that we are dealing with well-armed and highly trained individuals, who do not hesitate to terrorize local populations to achieve their aims."

"It should be noted that this is one of the top priority missions that the BIR is dealing with at this time, and the operational and logistical scale of this operation is the first of its kind," the BIR representative said.

High demand for ivory coupled with porous borders and weak law enforcement capacity is seriously threatening the survival of elephants in the region. Although concrete numbers are hard to come by, it is estimated that the population of elephants in the Central African region was cut in half between 1995 and 2007, with the number of elephants killed still increasing.

"The elephant killings in Bouba N'Djida earlier this year put the crisis on the map. But over the past decades, poachers have already wiped elephants across large swaths of the Central African Republic," according to Bas Huijbregts, head of policy on illegal wildlife trade for WWF Central Africa.

"The elephant population in the north-eastern parts of Central African Republic, which used to number around 35,000 in the seventies, has effectively been massacred, with only some 50 individuals remaining. And in neighboring Chad, in the Zakouma National Park, elephant populations collapsed by 90 per cent compared to the levels that were recorded in 2006, with only 450 animals left in 2011," Huijbregts explained.

"This is literally the last stand of elephants in these parts of Central Africa, and the operations of the Cameroonian Special Forces are indispensable to address this crisis," Huijbregts added.

Ivory trade across borders is currently banned under international law. But rising income levels and increased demand in Asia, primarily China and Thailand, is pushing ivory prices to record levels, fuelling illicit trade.

"Poaching is a harmful practice on so many fronts. Besides endangering wildlife, it degrades fragile ecosystems, corrodes respect for the rule of law, and weakens national security. It threatens the livelihoods and economic growth opportunities of local communities. Any nation that turns a blind eye to poaching essentially invites transnational criminal organizations to operate freely, bringing with them a host of other related problems and tainting the country's international standing," said
Greg Thorne, Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Cameroon.

"The United States applauds Cameroon's announced efforts to combat and eliminate poaching. These efforts, once launched, will have numerous positive benefits, including preservation of natural patrimony, strengthening of law enforcement and border security, and reduction in crime," he said.

Chad and the Central African Republic are collaborating with Cameroon to fight this poaching threat, and are currently in the process of finalizing a tri-national urgency action.

WWF is campaigning for greater protection of threatened species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants. In order to save endangered animals, source, transit and demand countries must all improve law enforcement, customs controls and judicial systems. WWF is also urging governments in consumer countries to undertake demand reduction efforts to curb the use of endangered species products.

Champion wildlife crime opponent awarded top WWF honours

2012-10-22

London, UK – Ofir Drori, a tireless anti-corruption whistleblower and law enforcement activist working on the frontlines of endangered wildlife protection in West and Central Africa, has been awarded the 2012 WWF Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal.

Israeli educator, photojournalist and activist Drori, 36, arrived in Cameroon a decade ago where he founded the Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), the first wildlife law enforcement non-governmental organization in Africa. Within seven months, LAGA had brought about Cameroon's first wildlife crime prosecution, providing a model that is now being replicated in West and Central Africa. Drori is also founder-director of the Central Africa Wildlife Law Enforcement Network.

"I am delighted to accept the WWF Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal – a great honour that will truly support our work to fight wildlife crime in West and Central Africa and beyond," Ofir Drori said. "I hope this award also inspires a shift to a more activist approach and bolsters the fight against corruption in our quest to save wildlife – while there are still magnificent elephants and other animals left to save."

Promoting wildlife law enforcement by combating corruption at all levels, LAGA enabled a shift in Cameroon's judicial system resulting in arrests and prosecution of major wildlife criminals. The LAGA anti-corruption success story has been replicated in West and Central Africa in activities that go beyond nature conservation to the defence of human rights.

Wildlife poaching and organized criminal trade in wildlife have escalated dramatically in recent years and are now the greatest threat to many of WWF's flagship species. Ofir Drori's efforts have resulted in hundreds of arrests and prosecutions across West and Central Africa, and helped propagate a zero tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trafficking in Cameroon.

"It is thanks to people like Ofir Drori that we still have a hope of keeping vulnerable elephant and other wildlife populations thriving – and keeping a spotlight on the poaching crisis that threatens them. I applaud his bold and impactful work," said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International. "WWF urges world governments to crack down on wildlife poaching and illegal trade as a matter of urgency."

WWF is taking action to combat wildlife crime and works with countries where poaching occurs, where illegal trade transits and in consumer countries to stop wildlife crime – by strengthening law enforcement, combating corruption, getting illegal wildlife trade recognised as a serious crime, and reducing demand for endangered species products.

The Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal was first given in 1970 and is awarded annually by WWF for outstanding service to the environment. Ofir Drori joins a long line of conservation leaders to receive the award – including the 2011 winner, Dr Ashok Khosla, one of the world's foremost sustainable development experts. Mr. Drori receives his award today in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London.

Cameroon arrests one of Central Africa's most notorious poachers

2012-10-05

Yaoundé, Cameroon - Cameroon on Thursday arrested Symphorien Sangha, one of Central Africa's most notorious elephant poachers and ivory smugglers, a significant step in the region's fight against wildlife crime. WWF strongly urges relevant authorities to follow up on this important step and prosecute Sangha to the fullest extent of the law.

According to local officials, Sangha was arrested on Thursday evening by the Cameroonian Gendarmerie in the town of Yokadouma in South East Cameroon, where he is currently being held.

"WWF congratulates the Cameroonian government and its law enforcement authorities for having caught one the most notorious elephant poachers in the Central African region," said Bas Huijbregts, head of policy for WWF Central Africa.

"But Sangha has a history of disappearing following his arrests."

"This is a chance for Cameroon to show it is serious about tackling the wildlife crime that undermines security and economic development in the region," Huijbregts said.

Originally from the Central African Republic but a naturalized Cameroonian citizen, Sangha, who specializes in the killing of elephants for their tusks, has also been accused of serving as a guide to Sudanese poachers, who in 2010 crossed the Central African Republic and massacred 25 elephants before being stopped by local authorities.

"Symphorien Sangha is our Kony," Huijbregts stressed.

Sangha was mostly active in the le Tri-national de la Sangha (TNS), the Sangha trinational protected area complex, a network of protected areas straddling the countries of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. In July 2012, this 7,542 square kilometer complex rich in biodiversity and with major populations of forest elephants was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As one of Africa's last remaining intact tropical forests, the TNS is an important sanctuary for the protection of threatened wildlife.

Under a trinational agreement, law enforcement officials are allowed to operate in all three countries that encompass the TNS. An arrest warrant issued by a Central African prosecutor says Sangha "operates on Central African soil, from Cameroon."

Locally know as le braconnier légendaire du TNS (the notorious poacher of the TNS), Sangha is also accused of opening fire on ecoguards, seriously crippling one in 2010. He has already been arrested at least two times, including once in 2007, when he managed to escape before fleeing from the Central African Republic to Cameroon.

"This individual has evaded justice for many years. It is essential authorities do their utmost to ensure he remains in jail," said WWF Cameroon Country Director Basile Yapo.

"People like him undermine the economic benefits which can accrue from the ecotourism potential linked to the abundance of elephants and great apes in the TNS."

"We urge the Cameroonian authorities to prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law," Yapo added.

Illegal wildlife trade – valued at between $8 billion and $10 billion per year – ranks as the fifth most lucrative illegal transnational activity in the world.

This profitable criminal activity has put tremendous pressure on the wildlife of the Congo Basin, with poaching and ivory seizures reaching record levels in 2011. Heavily armed groups do not hesitate to cross international boarders to obtain ivory, threatening the territorial integrity and security of the countries in the region.

At the United Nations at the end of September the United States, in a written statement, said that wildlife poaching and trafficking harmed "conservation efforts, (the) rule of law, governance and economic development."

WWF and its partner TRAFFIC, the wildlife monitoring network, are campaigning for greater protection of threatened species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants. In order to save endangered animals, source, transit and demand countries must all improve law enforcement, customs controls and judicial systems. WWF and TRAFFIC are also urging governments in consumer countries to undertake demand reduction efforts to curb the use of endangered species products.

For media enquiries, please contact Jules Caron in Yaounde at jcaron@wwfcarpo.org.

Cameroon biodiversity hotspot in grave danger as palm oil conglomerate quits sustainability group

2012-09-05

Yaounde, Cameroon: Sustainable palm oil development and a key biodiversity hotspot in Cameroon are under increased threat as the developer of a controversial 70,000 hectare palm oil plantation quits the key organization setting environmental and social sustainability standards in the global industry, WWF warned today.

WWF was one of a number of complainants to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that US-based Herakles Farms had not adequately followed RSPO guidelines on new plantings designed to protect high conservation value forest and community interests. The RSPO had asked Herakles to suspend clearing while discussions concluded on the outstanding issues with WWF-Cameroon and the other 7 complainants.

Herakles' decision to quit RSPO – announced yesterday by the RSPO – means that the 70,000 hectare plantation proposal for areas of high conservation value forest surrounded by national parks and forest reserves is no longer subject to the restraints and protections offered by the only globally agreed standard for the sustainable production of palm oil that is independently monitored and supported by global markets.

WWF and the other complainants had been seeking for Herakles to carry out an adequate High Conservation Value Assessment of the entire 70,000 hectare concession area before development started, as well as asking the company to address other issues including ensuring the respect for land tenure rights, the implementation of the free, prior and informed consent process and transparent communications with stakeholders.

"This is a very sad day for Cameroon," said BasileYapo, Country Director of WWF Cameroon.

"WWF believes that sustainable palm oil can be a reality in Cameroon but only if it is produced by responsible companies according to RSPO principles and criteria, supported by sustainable land use policies and involving local communities.

"It is clear that the Herakles project will likely fall short of these standards. Given the rapid pace and scale of palm oil development in West Africa, it is critically important that the governments in the region put in place vital safeguards to insure that these projects are sustainable," he added.

WWF is calling on investors to steer clear of any palm oil development by irresponsible companies in Cameroon and other frontier regions.

"Forests in the green heart of Africa are vulnerable targets for expansion, as palm oil companies look beyond Indonesia and Malaysia for new land to expand palm oil production," said Adam Harrison, WWF International's representative on the RSPO Executive Board.

"WWF calls on investors to support only RSPO members who actively adhere to RSPO principles. Investors should also encourage development on degraded land in order to avoid further negative impacts by the palm oil business on forests, species and people."

WWF launches fight against wildlife crime

2012-08-28

In response to record poaching rates, WWF today is launching a global campaign calling governments to combat illegal wildlife trade and reduce demand for illicit endangered species products. Demand for ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts from consumer markets in Asia is driving wild populations dangerously close to extinction.

"Governments are largely ignoring the crisis affecting our endangered species. Throughout our global campaign, countries will hear directly from their constituents that the people expect better from them. The time to act is now while we can still save rhinos, tigers and elephants," said Lasse Gustavsson, Executive Director of Conservation for WWF International.

WWF will engage its constituents in online activities to educate, empower and activate them on behalf of the campaign. Supporters will have the opportunity to join the conversation, provide their campaign ideas, and undertake direct advocacy with world leaders.

Already this year, 339 rhinos have been killed by poachers in South Africa in order to supply consumer markets in Asia, particularly in Viet Nam, where the animal's horn is touted as a hangover tonic and cure for terminal illness. Rhino poaching has increased over 3,000 per cent in the past five years.

Last year witnessed the highest recorded rates of elephant poaching in Africa. Tens of thousands of elephants are believed to be killed each year for their ivory tusks, the most in Central Africa. China and Thailand have been identified as the biggest consumer countries for illegally-trafficked ivory.

In the last 100 years, the world has lost 97 per cent of its wild tigers, including four sub-species to extinction. There may be as few as 3,200 of the endangered animals remaining. Illegal killing for trade is the biggest factor in their decline. The skins of eight tigers were seized in Russia Saturday, including four from cubs estimated to be less than two months old.

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative international organized crimes, yet is not treated seriously by many governments. "The criminal syndicates involved in illegal wildlife trade have also been implicated in murder, drug trafficking, arms proliferation, and even terrorism," Gustavsson said. "This campaign is more than just saving species from extinction, it is about promoting the rule of law, protecting rangers and bringing end to an illegal trade that has countless times proven to destabilize national security."

WWF and partner TRAFFIC will mobilize millions of supporters to take action to help kill the trade that kills. Join us on the frontline in the battle against illegal wildlife trade at facebook.com/WWF and at panda.org/killthetrade.

Cameroon increases elephant protection after mass slaughter

2012-08-10

Yaoundé, Cameroon – Six months after the killing of hundreds of elephants in a Cameroon national park, WWF today is releasing exclusive video material from the scene of the shocking event. The release comes on the eve of World Elephant Day on Sunday, August 12, 2012. WWF fears that soon this event might celebrate an extinct species in Central Africa if ivory poaching and illegal wildlife trade is not ended.

Foreign invasion

Between January and March of this year, heavily-armed foreign poachers invaded Cameroon and killed over 300 elephants in Bouba N'Djida National Park. Since the incident, which drew worldwide media attention, Cameroon has moved to bolster security in its protected areas, including deploying 60 new ecoguards to secure Bouba N'Djida and monitor the park's remaining wildlife. Two rangers recently received gunshot wounds while pursuing a potential poacher adjacent to the park.

The Cameroon government has agreed a plan to recruit an additional 2,500 game rangers over the next five years. The Central African country also intends to establish a new national park authority, following the prime minister's approval of an emergency action plan for securing all frontier protected areas.

While on a recent visit to the military training programme of the new rangers, Cameroon Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) Minister Ngole Philip Ngwese told the recruits "MINFOF is counting on you to fight the challenges on the field, especially with the massacre of elephants at Bouba N'Djida. We can't wait to have you on the field so that together we will fight the course which we all share. You must understand you are working for the nation by protecting our biodiversity, which is one of Cameroon's riches."

Record poaching

Despite these efforts, elephant poaching in Africa has reached record levels in recent years, and Central Africa's unique forest elephants have been the hardest hit. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year for their ivory tusks, which are mostly trafficked to consumer markets in Asia.

"Today's poaching gangs are sophisticated, global and vicious. They are invading our countries, not only slaughtering our wildlife but also killing rangers, and terrorizing communities," said Basile Yapo, WWF-Cameroon Country Director. "Cameroon has done the right thing by allocating additional resources to this serious national security issue. Other Central Africa countries should follow Cameroon's lead and act now to stop criminal gangs before they strike."

"Large-scale elephant killings like the one witnessed in Bouba N'Djida can happen almost anywhere in the region. In fact, we have heard recent reports of 30 elephants being massacred in one night in Chad," said Stefanie Conrad, Regional Representative for WWF in Central Africa. "Conservation is no longer an issue for environmental institutions alone. People's lives and jobs are at risk because of it. Each time an elephant is killed a country is losing economic value. WWF is calling on Central African governments to put an end to ivory poaching and wildlife crime. The time to act is now."

Campaigning for change

In response to the escalating levels of wildlife crime, WWF and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, are launching a global campaign to stop illegal trade of ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts. Visit panda.org/wildlifecrime or visit WWF on Facebook to learn more and take action.

Countries fail to protect endangered species from illegal trade

2012-07-23

Geneva – Poor performances by key countries are threatening the survival of wild rhinos, tigers and elephants, a new WWF report has found. The analysis, released as governments gather in Geneva this week to discuss a range of issues related to wildlife trade, rates 23 of the top African and Asian nations facing high levels of poaching and trafficking in ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts.

The report, entitled Wildlife Crime Scorecard: Assessing Compliance with and Enforcement of CITES Commitments for Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants, examines of the many countries considered as range, transit or consumer countries for these species. It gives countries scores of green, yellow or red for each animal, as applicable, as an indicator of recent progress. WWF has found that illegal trade persists in virtually all 23 countries reviewed, but the scorecard seeks to differentiate between countries where it is actively being countered from those where current efforts are entirely inadequate.

Asian demand drives poaching

Among the worst performers is Viet Nam that received two red scores, for rhinos and tigers. Viet Nam is identified in the report as the top destination country for rhino horn, which has fuelled a poaching crisis in South Africa. A record 448 South African rhinos were killed for their horns in 2011 and the country, which itself receives a yellow for rhinos, has lost an additional 262 already this year. According to the report, many Vietnamese have been arrested or implicated in South Africa for acquiring rhino horns illegally, including Vietnamese diplomats.

"It is time for Viet Nam to face the fact that its illegal consumption of rhino horn is driving the widespread poaching of endangered rhinos in Africa, and that it must crack down on the illegal rhino horn trade. Viet Nam should review its penalties and immediately curtail retail markets, including Internet advertising for horn," said Elisabeth McLellan, Global Species Programme manager at WWF.

Inadequate enforcement of domestic ivory markets in China is also highlighted in the report. China receives a yellow score for elephants indicating a failure by the country to effectively police its legal ivory markets. "The ongoing flow of large volumes of illegal ivory to China suggests that such ivory may be moving into legal ivory trade channels," the report says.

China is urged to dramatically and consistently improve its enforcement controls for ivory and to communicate to Chinese nationals in Africa that anyone caught importing illegal wildlife products into China would be prosecuted, and if convicted, severely penalized.

Poaching crisis across Africa

Tens of thousands of African elephants are being killed by poachers each year for their tusks and China and Thailand are top destinations for illegal African ivory. Thailand receives a red score for its failure to close a legal loophole that makes it easy for retailers to sell ivory from poached African elephants.

"In Thailand, illegal African ivory is being openly sold in up-scale boutiques that cater to unsuspecting tourists. Governments will be taking up this troubling issue this week. So far Thailand has not responded adequately to concerns and, with the amount of ivory of uncertain origin in circulation, the only credible option at this stage is a ban on ivory trade," McLellan said.

Elephant poaching is at crisis levels in Central Africa, where rhinos were likely poached to extinction. Last year witnessed the elephant highest poaching rates across the continent since records began. Early this year hundreds of elephants were killed in a single incident in a Cameroon national park. "Given the escalation of elephant poaching in Africa and the increased levels of organized crime involved in the trade, it is clear that the situation is now critical," the report found.

Wildlife crime not only poses a threat to animals, but is a risk to people, territorial integrity, stability and rule of law. Regional cooperation is needed in Central Africa to counter the flows of illegal ivory and arms spilling across borders. WWF commends Central African governments for signing a regional wildlife law enforcement plan and urges them to make its implementation a top priority, allocating resources to the plan and improving the efficacy of prosecutions for those implicated in poaching or illegal trade.

"Although most Central African countries receive yellow or red scores for elephants, there are some encouraging signals. Last month Gabon burned its entire ivory stockpile, to ensure that no tusks would leak into illegal trade, and President Ali Bongo committed to both increasing protections in the country's parks and to ensuring that those committing wildlife crimes are prosecuted and sent to prison," said WWF Global Species Programme manager Wendy Elliott.

Best performers

Other bright spots from the report are green scores for India and Nepal for each of the three species groups. In 2011, Nepal celebrated a year without any rhino poaching incidents, which was largely attributed to improvements to anti-poaching and other law enforcement efforts.

WWF's Wildlife Crime Scorecard is being released as member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) hold their annual Standing Committee meeting. The conservation organization is set to launch a global campaign to fight illegal wildlife trade, which is putting the future of elephants, rhinos and tigers at risk. Learn more at panda.org/wildlifecrime.

Emerging trends in land-use conflicts in Cameroon: Overlapping natural resource permits threaten protected areas and foreign direct investment

2012-07-10

In 2011, WWF produced a map of the protected areas of Cameroon at the request of the government. Simultaneously, observations had been made by conservation groups that mining permits were being granted inside of Cameroon's protected areas, though the origin and credibility of the data was unclear.

Also in 2011, several mining companies presented their credentials to the conservators of the Campo Ma'an and Nki National Parks to inform them that they would begin mining exploration activities inside these protected areas. This propelled WWF, CED, and RELUFA to make an official request to the Ministry of Mines in Cameroon for all valid mining permits.

Using official data only on mining permits granted or renewed during the period spanning 2009-2011, the authors and GIS experts produced a mining map of Cameroon which is the basis of this paper. A limited number of oil permits were also made available to the researchers. The authors are aware of the existence of further mining and oil permits that do not appear on the map as the official data has not been made available.

The report reveals that there currently exists 30 mining exploration permits overlapping 12 protected areas, and dozens more are in the immediate vicinity of protected areas, with a high potential for conflicting with the government's conservation objectives. In addition, petroleum permits have been granted in an additional four protected areas. Under Cameroon law these overlaps are illegal.

Some of Cameroon's most important protected areas, including Korup National Park, Dja World Heritage Site, Nki National Park and Bouba N'Djijda National Park, which harbor much of Cameroon's natural heritage, are threatened by these permits. The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, mandated to manage these areas, did not give permission for these permits, as required by Cameroon's mining laws.
Whilst it is clear that Cameroon and indeed the Congo Basin is rich in minerals, and these minerals need to be extracted in order to deliver economic growth, such overlapping conflicts do not project a smooth path towards economic development.

The report proposes that, worse than this, such land-use conflicts could lead to large compensation payouts, potentially tarnish the reputation of Cameroon in terms of conservation leadership in the Congo basin and damage the country's Doing Business ranking.

The report recommends that granting of future permits be suspended until a clear process is implemented to avoid future land-use conflicts. Finally, the report proposes that portions of mining permits overlapping already existing land rights be "cut" (re-delineated).

African Wildlife Wonderland Straddling Three Nations Gets World Heritage Recognition

2012-07-03

WWF has welcomed the declaration of Dzanga-Sangha in Central Africa as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO following an announcement in St. Petersburg on July 1st 2012.

The site called the Sangha Tri-National Protected Area (also known by its French acronym TNS) consists of a 25,000 km2 contiguous area across the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Cameroon, and the Central African Republic and marks the first World Heritage site that spans three nations. The core of the TNS is formed by three neighbouring national parks connected by the Sangha River and teems with gorillas, elephants, and chimpanzees.

According to Stefanie Conrad, regional representative of WWF for the Central Africa region; "This inscription is the culmination of over a decade of work by many dedicated people, ranging from protected area managers, central governments in the three countries, researchers, community leaders, private sector and financial partners to make the TNS a truly functional trans-boundary managed world class forest landscape. This World Heritage status will introduce the TNS to the rest of the world and lead to increased support for the continued protection of the area's globally important biodiversity and for the people that depend on it."

The TNS already benefits from long-term technical and financial support from WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a UK-registered trust fund called the TNS Foundation (FTNS), UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, the UN Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), and the governments of the U.S., Germany, France and Spain, along with private donors.

The World Heritage Site declaration marks the culmination of a vision dating from 2000 when the Governments of the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic, signed the TNS cooperation agreement, agreeing to work together to assure the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources of the Sangha Tri-National Protected Area complex .

The TNS has one of the lowest human footprints in equatorial Africa. Its habitat ranges from tropical forests, wetlands, and many types of natural forest clearings known as bais – some of which attract multiple gorilla groups simultaneously, while others host thousands of parrots. The bais are exceptional hubs for social and genetic exchanges for wildlife. Nowhere else do 100-plus forest elephants so frequently congregate in a given area, often with other large mammals such as bongo, sitatunga, forest buffalo, and giant forest hogs.

The new World Heritage Site is made up of a core 7,542 km2 consisting of Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in Central African Republic, Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Congo. An additional 17,880 km2 buffer zone is managed for selective logging many of which have Forest Stewardship Council certification.

Record poaching drives African elephants into decline

2012-06-21

Killing of elephants driven by the illegal ivory trade has reached crisis levels in Africa.

Across Africa elephants are being driven into decline due to poaching for their tusks, according to a report issued under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Data from the report shows increased poaching across the entire range of the African elephant, but the highest rates are in Central Africa. "The rise in levels of illegal killing and the dynamics surrounding it are worrying, not only for small and fragmented elephant populations that could face extirpation, but also for previously secure large populations," the report says.

Last year is cited as having the highest poaching rates ever documented, exceeding record rates witnessed in 2010.

It is estimated that tens of thousands of elephants are being killed each year for their tusks, which are in demand in Asia. East Africa is identified in the report as the centre of illicit ivory transport to Asia, with an escalating number of illegal consignments exiting seaports there.

"Alarmingly, 2011 recorded the highest number of large-scale seizures ever," said Lamine Sebogo, WWF's African elephant programme manager. "Such seizures indicate the involvement of organized criminal networks, but very few cases have been followed up with proper investigations, arrests, prosecutions or the imposition of credible penalties."

This scale of illegal ivory trade was demonstrated early in 2012, when a gang of heavily armed foreign poachers entered Cameroon and killed hundreds of elephants in Bouba N'Djida National Park. This event, and others like it, constitutes an invasion and a threat not only to wildlife but people, territorial integrity and stability.

Poor governance and weak law enforcement efforts have been identified as the primary drivers of elephant poaching and ivory trade in Africa.

According to the report governence and law enforecment will be considered by governments later this month at a key CITES meeting. China and Thailand are identified in the findings as the two biggest raw ivory consuming countries in the world. Data indicates that poaching trends can be correlated with increasing affluence in China, and that raw ivory prices doubled there between 2004 and 2010.

"In the last two years we have seen open flouting of China's internal ivory trade laws," said Dr Colman O'Criodain, WWF's wildlife trade policy analyst. "Many visitors, including foreign government representatives attending CITES-related meetings in China, have reported seeing ivory openly on sale without the required certification cards that prove legality of origin."

The Chinese market remains the most prominent destination for illicit ivory, and a serious slackening of enforcement of country's strict internal trade controls is a major cause for concern. In Thailand, legislative loopholes mean that there is no effective regulation at all.

"In Thailand there is no regulation of ivory trade. Visitors can see ivory openly on sale, the vast bulk of it apparently of African origin," O'Criodain says. "It is a crime to bring ivory home from another country, even if shopkeepers tell you otherwise."

"It is imperative that CITES member states take remedial actions to shut down unregulated or poorly regulated domestic ivory markets, especially the world's largest markets in China and Thailand," said O'Criodain.

One hopeful sign in the fight to save elephants is the recent adoption by Central African countries of an action plan to combat wildlife crimes including elephant poaching and illegal ivory.

"We commend Central African governments for taking action to safeguard their natural heritage through developing this plan. We call on government leaders to implement the plan as a matter of urgency and encourage the international community to provide financial support to this end," Sebogo said.

New hope for elephants under threat in Central Africa

2012-06-06

Ndjamena, Chad - Central African countries today signed a groundbreaking regional plan to strengthen law enforcement and better combat poaching of elephants and other species at risk from illegal wildlife trade.

The plan was adopted by the ten member states of Central African Forest Commission, known as COMIFAC, as escalating rates of wildlife crime plague the region.

Wildlife ministers from the COMIFAC countries pledged to undertake unprecedented levels of cooperation with law enforcement agencies, such as the police, customs and the judiciary, to tackle the issue. They also announced plans to hold a head of state conference next year to address wildlife loss and maintaining Africa's biodiversity. The conference would bring together African leaders as well as government officials from key Asian trading partners and intergovernmental supporters such as the Africa Development Bank and the UN to explore opportunities for cooperation.

"Without strong and efficient collaboration among the COMIFAC range states, we will never succeed in combating this plague," said Mahamat Bechir Okormi, the Chad Minister for Environment and Fishery, in his closing statement at the COMIFAC preparatory meeting held yesterday in Ndjamena, Chad.

Anti-poaching efforts to increase across the ten Central African nations

The law enforcement action plan approved today includes provisions to increase anti-poaching efforts in each of the countries and to enable joint-country patrols in some transborder areas.

Ivory, often bound for Asia, is frequently smuggled across inland borders before reaching overseas exit points such as ports and airports. Under the plan, customs controls are also set to be bolstered at international transit hubs.

Ramping up investigations of wildlife poachers

To ensure that criminals engaging in illegal wildlife trade are arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law, COMIFAC countries plan to ramp up investigations and conduct more thorough prosecutions. Cases will also be monitored for corruption and action taken against anyone attempting to impede justice.

"This regional action plan comes at the right time, as a coordinated response to the recent upsurge of large scale poaching witnessed in Central Africa," said Marc Languy, Leader of WWF's Green Heart of Africa initiative. "This is an important milestone and there is need now for COMIFAC countries to initiate the first steps to implement it. The plan will also need support from the international community."

Finalization of the plan has come just after the president of the African Development Bank spoke strongly about the urgent need to tackle illegal wildlife trade.

"We are taking our ecosystems for granted," Africa Development Bank President Dr Donald Kaberuka told reporters Friday.

"The increase in large scale seizures is evidence of the involvement of well organised criminal networks in illegal wildlife trade, now the fifth largest illicit transnational activity, worth between $8-10 billion per year. It is something we must absolutely put to an end."

Also at the Ndjamena event, Chad, Central African Republic and Cameroon signed a tri-partite declaration to join forces and increase transboundary collaboration to fight poaching. "This is a welcome sign and will help ensure that there will never again be a slaughter of elephants on the scale witnessed in Cameroon earlier this year," said Lamine Sebogo, WWF's African elephant expert.

"We were all shocked by the recent killing of more than 200 elephants in Bouba N'Djida National Park," said Bas Huijbregts, Regional Field Programmes Manager of WWF's Central African Regional Programme Office. "The strategy defined in this action plan will allow countries to react more quickly and efficiently to similar threats in the future."

WWF, together with TRAFFIC and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has provided technical and financial assistance toward the development of the plan and is offering ongoing support for implementation.

Javan rhinos in critical state as International Year of the Rhino begins

2012-06-05

Increasing alarm for the fate of the two rarest rhinoceros species, and growing concern over the increased illegal hunting of rhinos and demand for rhino horn affecting all five species, has prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to declare 5 June 2012 as the start of the International Year of the Rhino.

President Yudhoyono took this step at the request of conservation organisations, because the future survival of both the Javan and Sumatran rhinos depends on effective conservation action in Indonesia.

"WWF offers its full support for the commitment made by Indonesia's president to secure a future for the country's critically endangered rhinos," says Dr Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia.

"There is an urgent need to decrease pressures on habitats and to establish a second Javan rhino population in a safer and suitable location. This will be a big endeavour that will require true leadership from government and critical partnerships among scientists, conservation organizations and local communities."

The government of Indonesia has also made commitments to establish a high-level rhino task force of national and international experts; allocate sufficient resources to enforce protection of remaining rhino populations, and ensure that there is regular and intensive monitoring of all rhino populations in Indonesia.

In the last decade, two rhino subspecies, the western black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) in Cameroon and the Indochinese Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) in Vietnam have gone extinct.

Today, the populations of two more subspecies, the northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) and the mainland population of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotus), both listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, are perilously close to extinction because of an increase in illegal hunting and non-traditional use of rhino horn.

During this International Year of the Rhino, it is hoped that all rhino range states in Africa and Asia will join Indonesia and give priority to securing their rhino populations.

There are ambitions to bring illegal hunting and trade, especially the illegal trade of rhino horn, under control by ensuring that effective deterrents are in place and enforced. It is also hoped that measures that encourage a rapid growth in rhino numbers will be taken. In Indonesia, extra action will be taken to translocate isolated individuals to actively managed protected areas and improve rhino habitats by removing invasive plant species and providing additional sources of water.

"Strong and clear political messages from the highest possible levels are required to combat the illegal killing and trade in rhino and the message coming from the president is loud and clear," said John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES.

"We hope that this bold initiative by Indonesia will serve as a catalyst for further high-level political support and commitments to protect the rhino in the wild across all concerned states"

Effective conservation by governments in Africa and Asia, in some cases with the support of WWF, has been successful in bringing back the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) from the brink of extinction.

It is clear that highly-focused management and improved conservation measures can lead to increases in the populations of rhinos, and it is now urgent that this is also implemented for the Javan and Sumatran rhinos, as the Indonesian president has stated.