WSC calls for better protection of African wild elephants

BANGKOK, March 6 (TNA) - The Wildlife Conservation Society (WSC) on Wednesday called on all countries facing the same problem of illegal ivory trade to strictly enforce the laws and relevant measures to protect wild elephants in Africa, where there remain only some 100,000 of the endangered species. The WSC made the call at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) CoP16 in Bangkok on Wednesday. Participants also acknowledged the WSC's claim that the number of wild elephants has plunged by 62 per cent across Central Africa over the past decade due to an upsurged poaching in widespread accessible habitats of elephants, related to armed groups in Africa, and rising demand for elephant tusks on the world market. The WSC also called for urgent actions against poachers and DNA records for all elephants and their tusks in Africa to detect their sources of origin, transit and destinations to prevent their extinction and damage to the ecosystem. Thailand hosts the CITES CoP16 from March 3-14 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, during which CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon and some 2000 representative from 150 nations and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participate. (TNA)