Elephant conservation news 17 October - 23 October
A Bedfordshire man who sold items on eBay that were carved from elephant tusks was sentenced last week to 10 months in prison.
Nicholas Noonan pleaded guilty on 5 October to selling items restricted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, including billiard balls and corkscrews carved from ivory.
An investigation was launched in 2006 after a tip-off prompted undercover agents from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to begin trading with Mr Noonan on eBay.
Noonan's home was subsequently raided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers, who found items made from elephants' tusks and whales' teeth. It was also discovered that Noonan had illegally obtained, and falsely altered, a certificate of exemption to trade in ivory.
HMRC assistant director Peter Millroy said: "This was a concerted effort to break a law which is designed to preserve species at risk of extinction. The sentence handed down today shows that anyone tempted to trade in protected creatures and plants should think again."
Uganda lifts ban on elephant hunting
Ugandan wildlife officials have authorised a safari company to sell sport hunting licenses in areas not designated as wildlife reserves - constituting around 76% of the country.
A ban on sport hunting of large wild animals was implemented after the country's 1980s civil war posed a significant threat to the future of certain species. However, the Uganda Wildlife Authority says that elephant populations have now recovered to a point where they are proving a burden to farmers.
The decision has sparked criticism from animal rights groups and conservationists.
The Born Free Foundation said that it will approach Ugandan organisations with its "extreme concerns" about the reinstatement of trophy hunting.
Samuel Maina from Nairobi-based Wildlife Direct told the AFP: "Sport hunting is likely to be unsustainable in the designated hunting areas and there is a likelihood that to sustain this lucrative sector, Uganda will have to extend hunting into protected areas."
