Poaching+in+Kenya+at+Game+Parks

​ Poaching is meant to be illegal in Kenya, however it is smuggled to Asian countries, so that it can be carved beautifully into jewellery. Very recently on the 16th of July 2009, the Kenyan Government seized ivory worth $1 million. The elephant tusks can be sold for upto $3000 a kilogram and rhino horns can be sold for upto $5000 a kilogram. The Asian Market, is increasing it's demands as the horns and ivory is being used for many things. Kenya, at the moment is suffering droughts in certain areas and because of the current recession, money is hard for Kenyans. About a 100 elephants have died. These tusks are then taken out and then smuggled into other countries. Kenya, as metioned before is a developing nation and faces a lot of food, security and water shortages due to the economic status of Kenya.

Around 23,000 elephants live in Kenya but populations can be ruined by poaching within a couple of years. A recent survey in Chad showed its elephant population has decreased, from 3,800 to just over 600 just in a period of about three years. Patrick Omondi, the head of conservation at the Kenya Wildlife Service,said that the number of elephants killed for their tusks in Kenya could double this year over last.

On August 21st 2009, Singapore Airport Officials displayed confisicated Ivory from Bangkok Airport. The tusks were worth more than $500,000, which was about 1700 pounds of tusks. These had arrived from Kenyan and Ugandan flights.

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