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07 Nov 2014: Organized Chinese Crime Behind Tanzania's Elephant Slaughter, Report Says

EIA

Poached elephant skull in Selous Reserve

Chinese-led criminal organizations have been conspiring with corrupt Tanzanian officials to traffic huge amounts of ivory — a trade that has caused half of Tanzania’s elephants to be poached in the past five years — according to a report by the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency. In some cases, Chinese military officials appeared to be complicit in the illegal activities, the report says, and in other instances, prominent Tanzanian businessmen and politicians helped protect ivory traffickers. Tanzania is the largest source of poached ivory in the world, and China is the largest importer of smuggled tusks, according to EIA. Tanzania’s famed Selous Reserve saw its elephant population plunge by 67 percent in four years, from 50,000 animals to 13,000. Based on available evidence, Tanzania has lost more elephants to poaching during this period than any other country — 10,000 in 2013 alone — EIA said. The report draws on more than a decade of undercover investigations in Tanzania and China.

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