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Subscribe to RSSPolice in Kenya have seized more than two tons of ivory worth $1.15 million. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
"This is a big catch, the biggest ever single seizure of ivory at the port of Mombasa," said Kiberenge Seroney, the port's police officer in charge of criminal investigations. "We fail to understand where one gathers the courage to park such enormous quantities of ivory, hoping that they can slip through our security systems."
Poaching is a growing problem for sub-Saharan African countries reliant on rich wildlife in their game reserves to draw foreign tourists.
Heavily-armed criminals kill elephants and rhinos for their tusks, which are used for ornaments and in some folk medicines. Most of the elephant tusks smuggled from Africa ends up in Asian countries, according to police.
On Jan. 5, poachers killed a family of 11 elephants in the biggest single mass shooting of the animals on record in Kenya, wildlife officials said.
Gitau Gitau, an assistant commissioner with the Kenya Revenue Authority, said paperwork accompanying a container at the port of Mombasa declared it contained decorative stones.
The carcasses of a family of elephants have been found in a wildlife reserve in Kenya - the victims of the worst massacre on record by ivory poachers there. NBC News' Rohit Kachroo reports.
"But when we opened it we found elephant tusks," said Gitau as he displayed the ivory. "The ivory was originating from Rwanda and Tanzania and was to be exported to Indonesia."
Related stories:
Family of 12 elephants slain by poachers in Kenya
Indian park battles poachers targeting rhino horn
Rhino slaughter in South Africa sets savage pace
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Anyone involved in Rhino and Elephant killings for tusks and horns, should face the death penalty! The biggest demand is coming from Asia! Why isn't there a world wide outcry to stop this behavior. Rhino horn has no aphrodisiac properties, only that its phallic in form! What Idiotic cultural beliefs! Humans really are pathetic!
if obama had a half brother , he would be a poacher !
mike-2598123....Apparently P.0bama's momma's baby daddy gave Barry numerous half-brothers...Can't he just issue another Executive Order banning the use of Elephant / Rhino Guns with High-Capacity Tusk gathering Magazines by his homeboys.....I'm certain it must take lots of bullets to take down an elephant / rhino....
Eric: Bingo! The Chinese are mostly to blame because of their greed. Shark fins, elephant tusks, etc. Until they change their ways, this will continue. As for the poachers, when caught, they should be tied down, cut open, and let the hyenas eat them alive. This poaching would stop fast.
Just looking at that picture of all those tusks makes me want to beat those poachers with a golf club.
The Chinese must be some really clean people. That's a lot of Ivory.
@Eric - The park rangers already do have a policy of shooting poachers on site. They take the stance that since the poachers routinely shoot at the park rangers that the poachers are fair game. They rangers do not even have to wait until they are shot at, if they catch poachers they can simply shoot them on sight. Unfortunately, the same is not true for those caught trading illegally in the tusks and horns. While they do face arrest, the punishment for them is ridiculously lenient. There needs to be longer prison sentences for anyone found to be involved in the illegal ivory trade. Right now the punishments are so light that it is seen as being worth the risk because of the amount of money involved. For example, a person caught trading in illegal ivory in England only received a two year suspended sentence and a relatively small fine (less than 1500 British pounds) despite being caught with 24 whole tusks and an assortment of carved ivory items. Another man caught smuggling ivory into the US only received a sentence of a year and a day in prison despite being caught smuggling 66 pieces of ivory, including 36 whole tusks and numerous cut up pieces. Two jewelry dealers in New York caught with more than a ton of illegal ivory (about 100 elephants worth of ivory) did not receive any prison sentences at all, their only sentence being a total of $55,000 in fines and forfeiture of the ivory. These are just a few examples I found with a quick search, but the evidence is pretty clear, the punishments for those caught trading in illegal ivory are far too lenient. If the world is serious about ending the poaching and protecting these animal then world governments need to make the sentences for being caught trading in illegal ivory more severe. So long as the punishments remain so minimal the trade will continue. It is a simple risk-reward equation, you need to make the risks worse than the rewards. So long as the money is so good and the penalties are so light, the trading in illegal ivory will continue to get worse.
I don't believe in Hell, so as much as i'd like to believe these folks who participate in killing these beautiful creatures for their husks will get whats coming to them...I just dont believe it.
Sometimes the only thing you can do is speak like to like...maybe it's time to outfit the elephants with trackers, and keep rangers in their general area so we can take out the poachers.
JS in SD, Very informative... also China has to take a lead and prosecute their own. I appreciate your adult discourse... as opposed to puerile emanation (baby puke) of persons like our Mike 2598123! Mike 2598123 try to understand... your insecurity driven desire for attention (negative or otherwise) is it appears a deep seated pathology (what a childhood you must have had). You are obviously cognitively challenged, a coded xenophobe (why state the obvious), intellectually lazy, suffering from an arrested state of behavior as well as being profoundly ignorant in addition to your already questionable emotional state (I'm trying to be succinct here but there is so much to say). But there may be possibility another reason... maybe you really are a post adolescent (I'm thinking somewhere between the ages of 8 and 12) or possibly even someone confined to their bed for life by a terrible accident (angry at the world) and hungry for attention... any attention!
They should have kept quiet and refilled the container with stones and sent it on its way and had the police/customs in Indonesia follow up and arrest the culprits. Otherwise they will never catch up to the real crooks.
Killing elephants should have the same penalty as killing people. People nowadays hardly deserve the same protection as these magnificent animals.
Break all those even suspected in the trade of the endangered on the Wheel. Really. Break them on the Wheel, but not until their family was first broken on the Wheel before their eyes. After the breaking, be sure they're then Braiden on the Wheel. Make sure everyone sees the event.
You see an entire family broken on the Wheel, you'll be less apt to do anything or associate with anyone who might be involved with an activity that results in the Wheel. Really.
Sounds harsh? Hey, we're 7,000,000,000 strong and the elephants/rhinos/tigers etc are far less. Their value is far greater, any thinking person wouldn't dispute that fact.
Mike,
Obama has a half brother. He lives in Kenya in a hut.
Time to start killing the poachers and letting elephants where a necklace of their teeth around their necks to scare off the next set of poachers.
LMAO...do you know how ridiculous you sound?
Jessiegrrl...Don't pay any attention to the BD-540164 types.
You offer a fine solution....What is ridiculous is someone not recognizing it as such.....
BD,
Actually, they do kill poachers. Google it and you'll see rangers posing next to their dead bodies just like they are showing off a trophy kill.
Also, Jessie is on to something with the teeth necklace. I personally like that idea.
Since elephants are so large, I don't think they would mind wearing a pendant of the poachers' decapitated skulls.
"She's lovin' him with that body I just know it!"
"I wish that I had Jessiegrrl."
maybe it's cruel to force the elephant to wear the poachers skulls and bones...
but it might be worthwhile for us to donate some funds so billboards can be erected of the rangers posing with the dead poachers bodies? mask up the rangers, we dont want their identities blown. put a cape on them too, for they are superhero's to the elephants and rhino's!
with a simple warning "you're next"
I hope they use this to arrest whoever is buying it. Instead of burning it.
They are already are allowed to shoot and kill the poachers. In fact you can even join them in the hunt for the poachers. The poachers are getting good a hiding. Because they can be shot and killed. The US and other countries should send Black Water and other security forces to help find and kill the poachers. They should die before they kill any more Elephants, Rhinos, Tigers, ect.
I'm liking that idea. Why not send good ol' American hunters in to kill the poachers. It would be way more challenging than sitting still for 4 hours hoping a deer walks by. Seriously, you could offer rewards.....turn it into a game. Bet poachers would become commercially extinct in no time. We, as a species, are so good at decimating other species....I would not have a problem with people hunting this type of scum. They don't even use the animal...they just kill it for one thing. It would be different if they used the whole animal I think but this is just an incredibly sad waste.
Poachers are subhuman....people should be permitted to hunt them worldwide. It should be the ultimate hunting sport! Go buy the permit and kill as many as you can find...it's win win....charge for permits, offer rewards and the poachers get decimated. You would have to set some rules but it could be worked out. Rule one, kill them, leave them where they drop, rip out their teeth for a necklace...maybe ears too, and bring the necklaces to the proper authority for distribution to the animals....I think they could get used to the jewelry....lol.
Ahh Kenya, the place Obama calls his home. Lets all impeach him and make his dreams come true.
That's like saying: 'Ahh, the USA, the place Getsmad calls home, the place where there are murders, rape and violence against humanity every day. Let's all kill him and make our dreams come true.' Doesn't make sense, does it?
What an ass you are President Obama does not Kenya his home, you just angry because your man Mittens didn't win and why because he's a LOSER just like you.
All African countries should put a price on the head of every poacher. Make it more lucrative for Africans to turn in the dead poachers than relying on tourists to visit their game reserves and they would become more protective of their wildlife.
Unfortunately, finding the ivory is after the fact. The damage has already been done.
Also, Obama comments have nothing to do with this story, idiots!
I have an idea for fixing the issue of poaching endangered animals. Its an idea the scientific community could maybe solve, and thereby solve funding issues for themselves at the same time. I dont know if its possible, but its worth a try.
CLONE Ivory, grow it in a dish or whatever, sell it.
The same could be done for all animals that are being poached for their body parts. If this could be done, it would save the animals, and make someone rich at the same time. Its a win/win, especially for the animals.
Along the same lines they could surgically remove the tusks, replace with prostethics, and sell the ivory to pay for it all. That way the elephants stay safe until the idiots in asia get a clue.
Alternatively, yes, they could just flood the ivory market with synthetic ivory to drive the price to zero. Even better poison the synthetic ivory so anyone who consumes it gets horribly sick.
jblo,
Not sure if a prosthetic would ever be an option for two reasons.
1. There's no way a wild elephant would even be patient enough to let it heal before ripping it out. They're too powerful of an animal.
2. Even if it worked, the poachers would kill the elephant and "then" find out the tusks are prosthetic and just walk away anyway.
Yeah, I'm sure the prostethic is a non-trivial problem but regarding the latter they could make the prostethic red or blue or whatever so it's obvious it's fake from a distance.
If the governments of African countries start killing poachers, the American government would start screaming, "he's killing his own people" and "the poachers just want democracy." And, well, you know the rest of the story.
They already do kill poachers, so not sure what you're on about mate.
What do you expect the uneducated, poor, to do? Sell pencils? Look at this country. Look at the highschool drop put rates. What do you think they do. We don't have elephants or rhinos to poach so they become gang members, sell drugs, robbery, rape, murder. Wake up and smell the stench this country is becoming with all the violence, gangs, uneducated youth running amok, women who just lay around get serviced by some scum bag and put that offspring on our door step. We are in the pot and the heat is on. We will all just hide until we boil alive and the lowlife inherit the earth.
You seem to be confused about where the elephants are being poached and where the poachers come from. Here's a hint: Africa has something to do with it.
Sad squandering of nature and animal life. You'd better hope they don't find out teeth are ivory...
For some crimes, torture maybe appropriate.
What a terrible thought that so many were slaughtered to get tusks that are nothing more than fingernails on humans for people to use for "medicinal treatments".
Sad, sad day for the human race.
Isn't Indonesia supposed to be one of those 'pure countries' because of its majority Muslim faith? If that is so, then this is more proof that Islam is all about killing, drugs and money. Just like Detroit and Washington, DC.
China is the main market & final destination for these ivory shipments; Indonesia is just a stop along the way.
At some point the Asian countries need to be held accountable. If there is no market for Ivory, the killing of rhinos and Elephants will stop.
What are these people going to do when all of the elephants, rhinos and other animals that are slaughtered for their tusks, horns and fur are gone from the earth? It's just a matter of time and the only way to see these magnificent creatures will be in a zoo. Humans are so stupid and will do anything for money. Asian men your little penises won't get any harder on larger by having these animal killed, so stop it!!!!! Asian people you won't live forever whatever your stupid culture believes in, so stop it!!!! Let the animals live, we will all pay the price in the end.
Mike-2598123 what a dumb piece of sh*t you are, if you only had a brain, imagine the possibilities.
Since Asia, China in particular, are the main markets for ivory and rhino horn it might be useful to boycott tourism and purchase of imports from the offending nations.
Malinda, I agree and it's too bad that those that use the product from the tusks cannot be punished. Maybe if we boycotted these countries, then those that use might be hunted down. Those that use ivory and rhino horn are pure idiots. I would love to hear from one of these morons and have them explain the benefits.
i don't think they should destroy the ivory, they should sell it and use the money to destroy the poachers
Just like the government should sell the heroin they confiscate, to continue the never ending war on drugs? Oooooooookay!
she didn't raise a fooll but a@@hole instead
Schmucky-boy Petey say what?
EVERYONE associated with this illegal activity should be shot dead. The people in the countries where they believe these animal parts can cure disease are idiots. There is a way to stop this - we just do not have the will and when the realization that the animals are almost extinct - it will be too late. I've got an idea - when you catch someone in this avtivity - kill the whole family (which solves the medical problems they were worried about and buying animal parts for too).
Well done!
Hope those responsible for this get an "appropriate" punishment.
Attention, Asian world: ground-up poacher teeth, bones, and testicles cure impotency, cancer, shortness, baldness, and leads to longevity and wealth. Get on it.
Well as long as they make the poachers promise to never ever do it again, then everything shohld be ok.
As long as there is a market for this stuff the poaching will continue unless the punishments are made severe enough both for the poachers and for the consumers who buy this illegal ivory.
What is world wild life funding agency doing? Just like the gun rampage in schools and malls/movie theaters, every so often when such news is heard or read about these beautiful animal killings, we all get agitated, rant on the web cursing the Chinese, Asians and other crazy impotent people on this planet.
The US should lead, create a fund to support an army of security force to protect the animals in the wild. Second, go after the leaders of the countries with an iron hand on these poachers. We spent billions on Afghanistan and Pakistan for a Thankless coalition. Time to do something that gives some life to the endangered species.
These poachers are sick!!
please let's stop killing those majestic animals for mere money. if no one buys the ivory , will the poaching stop ? i think it will. but as long as corruption and greed exist , elephants and rhinos will continue to die. this is sad .