Scientists and conservationists have launched a global petition calling for an end to trophy hunting of elephants along the Kenya-Tanzania border.
This appeal, delivered on World Elephant Day held on August 12, underscores the urgent need for a collaborative approach between the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments to protect the Greater Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro elephant population.
The petition which has garnered over 500,000 signatures since its inception in March 2024, was sent by courier to the Tanzanian High Commission in Nairobi and to the Statehouse Tanzania, as revealed via a press conference at a Nairobi hotel.
The recent killings of super-tuskers is particularly concerning due to the rarity and special role these older males play in elephant society-Scientific Director of Elephant Voices, Dr Joyce Poole
The call to action comes in response to a recent decision by Tanzanian authorities to issue hunting permits for elephants with exceptionally large tusks (super tusker).
The move is reported to have led to the killing of five such elephants in Northern Tanzania over the past eight months, even as more permits are anticipated to be issued.
Shared resource
While management of elephants in Tanzania is recognized as the sovereign duty of the Tanzanian government, scientists reminded the two leaders that this population is shared and their protection has been achieved for three decades through a bilateral agreement.
However, this harmony is now at risk due to recent policy shifts in Tanzania, which have reintroduced trophy hunting quotas.
Dr Cynthia Moss, founder of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, expressed her concern on the same, stating, the Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro population is notable for its ecological and economic significance, and it serves as a unique genetic reservoir with substantial value beyond national borders.
“The loss of these elephants is not just a blow to elephant populations but to our collective efforts in conservation,” she said.
Historically, the Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro elephant population, straddling the border between Kenya and Tanzania, has been a symbol of cross-border conservation success.
For three decades, the bilateral agreement between Kenya and Tanzania effectively safeguarded these elephants from being hunted; but this was only until a new hunting wave was triggered by a new quota of permits that was issued in 2022 to Kilombero North Safaris.
The current crisis echoes a similar situation from the early 1990s when four renowned elephants—RBG, Sleepy, Saibulu, and Oloitipitip were killed by trophy hunters in Tanzania, leading to widespread international condemnation.
In response to the outcry, Kenya and Tanzania agreed in 1995 to a moratorium on trophy hunting of this shared population, which had been in place until the recent policy reversal.
Speaking during the event, the Scientific Director of Elephant Voices, Dr Joyce Poole highlighted the critical nature of the situation, terming it unfortunate.
“The recent killings of super-tuskers is particularly concerning due to the rarity and special role these older males play in elephant society,” she said.
With only about ten elephants with tusks weighing around 45 kg (100 lbs) each remaining in the Amboseli ecosystem, the new hunting permits could cause all these Super Tuskers to disappear within the next three years.
In Kenya, wildlife hunting has been banned since 1977, and conservation efforts have focused on protecting the elephants within its borders.
Conversely, Tanzania, where hunting remains legal, has seen an increase in hunting activities, with licenses issued to various companies for trophy hunting.
This disparity in policies between the two nations is at the heart of the current conservation challenge.
Bi-lateral approach solution
To solve this problem, Dr Paula Kahumbu, the CEO of WildlifeDirect urged for a unified response from the leadership of both countries.
“We urge President William Ruto of Kenya and President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania to meet and agree on the shared immense scientific and economic value of preserving these cross-border elephants,” said Dr Kahumbu.
She added: “The long-term benefits of ecotourism, science, and conservation far outweigh the short-term gains from trophy hunting in one country.”
Currently, there are 2,000 elephants within the Amboseli National Park with about 600 of them crossing borders periodically.
Of this number, 200 of the elephants are bulls which could also be potential targets of hunting because of their tusks.
Tiassa Mutunke, head of Teens4Wildlfe, a youth led conservation entity emphasized the need for protection of these gentle giants.
She noted that since elephants can live up to seventy years, there is a lot of information that can be passed down to the younger generations by the older ones since elephants are very family oriented and intelligent animals.
“Elephants deserve to die a natural death without being hunted. Let nature takes its course. Let we human beings protect them. As young people, we should not be the generation that allows this super tuskers to die, we must be generation that comes together to protect them. On this world elephant day, we are standing as young people saying let these super tuskers be protected because they are worth more alive,” she said.
