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Chinese basketball star sees reality of elephant and rhino poaching in Africa04/09/2012 13:23:12 Former NBA star and Chinese icon Yao Ming inspects the corpse of a poached elephant, Northern Kenya. Yao is on a fact-finding mission with international conservation group WildAid as part of a campaign to reduce the demand for ivory products in China, the main destination for illegal ivory. Since 2008, elephant poaching has been on the rise, according to Save the Elephants and the Kenya Wildlife Service. Photo Credit: Kristian Schmidt for WildAid September 2012. Yao Ming, ex pro basketball player who, at 7 feet 6 inches tall, was the tallest player in the NBA, has been on a fact finding tour in Africa with conservation charity WildAid. Yao was shown some of the wildlife, how important it is to local communities, and some of the problems that poaching has caused. Yao said: (To see the full blog about Yao's visit to Africa, visit the Yao Ming blog) In 1989, the international community banned the trade. The price of ivory fell to a quarter of its previous levels as markets in the US, Europe and much of the world, collapsed. For a number of years, elephant numbers stabilized and poaching declined. Some South African countries pushed for re-opening ivory trade for their stockpiles, but each time this was done, poaching increased again on speculation of a renewed market. Theoretically, we could have a market in ivory supplied from elephants that die naturally. But unfortunately, with the high amount of money at stake, few will wait for the elephant to die to make a profit. There are too many people with access to weapons to do the killing here and too many people ready to buy the ivory without questioning how it was obtained. I also learned that at one point in history, the United States was the largest consumer of ivory. As of 1989, Japan and Hong Kong were the largest importers of ivory, with Hong Kong holding 127 tonnes in its stockpile. But China's economic boom has lead to greater buying power with few potential consumers exposed to the publicity surrounding the 1989 ban. This is why we really need to document what's happening here in Africa, on the ground. I firmly believe that Chinese consumers will have a change of heart once we understand the consequences, but it hasn't been covered widely enough in the media. Unlike rhino horn (which was banned in 1993 in China), ivory is still legally available and side-by-side with illegal ivory from poached elephants, which I think is very confusing for people. If you see something openly on sale, you assume it is legal. An ivory carving is thousands of miles removed from the sad carcass of a poached elephant, but we need to make that connection. It was a harrowing experience I never want to repeat, but something that everyone thinking of buying ivory should see - the wastefulness of these animals cruelly slaughtered just so a small part of them could be used. Would anyone buy ivory if they had witnessed this?
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Dear Yao Ming,
Thank you sincerely for taking the time and making the effort to see the hideously cruel sufferings of Africa's elephants for the carving of ornaments, trinkets & car decorations in Asia - Japan and China being the biggest culprits for years and years and people in these countries making money from the mass murder of these beautiful animals that belong to continent Africa but which are facing extinction due to the greed of people in Asian countries. Do not forget that it is not only the elephants that are killed but so often their young that then suffer and die without their mothers or family as elephants are very family dependant & family orientated. Africa's elephant murder sufferings mean that one day soon Africa will have no more elephants - since the ivory ban the killing of Africa's elephants has got worse, the worst it has ever been - it is crucial that you help your people understand the astronomical damage they are doing to these magnificent animals of Africa. A survey was done in China some time ago & 70% of people there thought that an elephant's tusks (which in China they call 'teeth' & which is a lot of the confusion among the Chinese) simply fall out, that people go around picking them up & that the elephant grows 'new teeth.' You need to educate your people to the fact that each elephant only gets one set of 'tusks' to last the elephant its entire life & that in order to get these 'tusks' the elephant has to die because they must be chopped out of the elephant's skull. Also, you need to explain to your Chinese people that African elephants both female and male have tusks - whereas the Asian elephant only the male has tusks. So your people look at the African elephant & naturally think they can get double the amount of ivory in Africa, make double the amount of carvings and make a lot more money. The 'elephant killing fields of Africa' are almost beyond comprehension of the human mind - well past ONE MILLION ELEPHANTS NOW, often they are killed in groups, rounded up by helicopter or plane & shot with high-powered guns, some elephants being killed with over 40 bullets each! Your country has and is inflicting the most horrendous and disgraceful murder on Africa's elephants and it is time that this deplorable behaviour of the Asians is properly brought to their attention, as to leave this catastrophic situation to continue is a sin, cruelty to animals of the highest degree, and sometime your Asian countries will have to answer for inflicting such cruelty to satisfy their greed. In your history, you will see that China once had elephants, which were murdered as well, by the Chinese people (like the Chinese rhino & panda) - & still does have some elephants in a national park where they are highly protected by your Government. So, why does China continue to kill our elephants - why can't you respect Africa's elephants the way we respect your protected elephants? China's record for animal cruelty is abominable - you cannot keep killing and taking what is not yours. And, it is shame on a nation that would kill an animal that weighs tonnes in order to make carvings from its teeth which weight only some kilograms. If this senseless slaughter by the Chinese is not stopped not only will our elephants be gone forever, but the Tourism revenue for African countries will grind almost to a halt & then there will be furter suffering of the African people. People admire & respect you greatly, Yao Ming - you can make a huge difference to the elephants of Africa, a difference being that they can live instead of being murdered & facing extinction. Now that you have seen the murder of our elephants, it would be of great help if you would see the murder of Africa's rhinos because they are now close to extinction, their plight even more grave at present than that of Africa's elephant - soon our rhino will be gone, & once again, it is for the greed of Asian people who believe that rhino horn can cure a host of medical conditions - in fact, rhino horn has no medicinal value at all & that is scientifically & medically proven. I will not remember your country for the great wall or for anything else except being the country that drove Africa's rhino & elephant to extinction. There is a price to pay for this mass murder of the planet's animals - one day your countries will pay a price. Your work to reverse this cruelest situation must start immediately. Your people admire & respect you - they will pay attention to you when you start educating them about Africa's elephant & rhino. Thank you. Lindsay Jenions
Posted by: Lindsay Rooken-Smith Jenions | 07 Sep 2012 21:06:19