Elephant conservation news 21- 27 August
The RSPCA has hit out at a report on the welfare of zoo elephants, criticising it for not going far enough and calling for an outright ban on importing the animals into the UK.
According to the animal welfare charity, the study by the Zoo Forum failed to confront the issues in its findings on elephant husbandry, recommending that the UK zoo industry bring more animals into the country to sustain a future breeding population.
The Zoo Forum’s findings, commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), were based on a 2008 study by scientists from Bristol University. The findings recommend the establishment of an independent Elephant Advisory Group which would monitor standards in zoos.
Despite agreeing with this recommendation, RSPCA scientist Dr Ros Clubb - who co-authored a 2002 report into the welfare of European zoo elephants - said she was "extremely disappointed" at the review's findings.
She said that no more elephants should be introduced into the UK until "solutions to the extensive and serious welfare problems" are found. Issues include levels of lameness that are comparable to "intensively farmed dairy cattle or broiler chickens".
Unless "drastic improvements" can be found, Dr Clubb said that zoos should phase out keeping elephants altogether.
"Elephants are without question suffering in zoos," she added.
"They are one of the highest animal welfare concerns in Europe.
"Adding yet more elephants to an ailing population simply masks the problems."
Meanwhile, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) told the BBC that it was "surprised and disappointed by the RSPCA's disregard for the Zoo Forum's expert review", pointing out that members had already established an independent group to monitor and maintain the "highest standards" of elephant welfare.
Meanwhile, a Defra spokesperson said that it is currently considering the Zoo Forum's review before deciding how to proceed.
Ivory seized at Nairobi airport
Arrests have been made and a smuggler jailed following a spate of ivory busts at Kenya's busiest airport in the last week.
Two men were held after two tonnes of elephant tusks, along with five rhino horns, were seized at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The men were preparing the shipment - disguised as avocados - to be sent on to Malaysia.
Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) said that the pieces were of varying ages, and had likely been compiled from the natural deaths of around 150 elephants over a 20-year period. It highlighted the fact that the trophies did not have the indelible ink markings which would identify them as being from government stocks.
KWS said that the discovery was the largest elephant ivory recovery in the country in the recent past, and had "caused great concern to law enforcers and conservationists", as the service pointed to increasing levels of poaching over the past three years.
It was made in a week of intense activity at the airport, which also witnessed hauls which had come in from Uganda and Mozambique.
Meanwhile, a Chinese national was jailed for 18 months after being found with worked ivory pieces in his hand luggage.
Last month, questions were raised about Kenya's ability to monitor ivory passing through its borders, en route to Asia, with the country's Daily Nation newspaper proclaiming that the country had become "a safe route for cartels involved in illegal ivory trade".
