15 years later African elephants may no longer exist

The cause of African elephants nearing the end of extinction, according to animal conservation experts, is that ivory trade is becoming more and more popular.

According to statistics, the total number of African elephants - now 600,000 - is about 38,000. This number is based on the number of illegal ivory trade and it exceeds the annual birth rate of statues. That means if the world does not have interventions, African elephants may face a comprehensive extinction disaster within the next 15 years.

The International Animal Welfare Fund (IFAW) calls on the European Union and the countries participating in the Endangered Animal Trade Agreement (CITES) to stop supporting legitimate ivory business. In addition, IFAW called on countries to support Kenya's proposal to extend 'rest time' in elephant and ivory trade from 9 to 20 years at the CITES conference in March 2010.

In 2005, Zakouma National Park in CH Chad had 3,885 elephants, but by 2009 this number dropped to only 617. 'Such alarming hunting situation can push African elephants across the continent. to the brink of extinction in just 15 years, ' warned Robbie Marsland, IFAW UK director. 'Most of us will be shocked to know that 20 years after the international ivory ban went into effect, elephants in Africa remain the target of poachers. The sad fact is that the ivory trade everywhere is a threat to the statue's survival. '

However, elephants are not the only species smuggled with body parts. In the past few years, about 55,000 reptiles in India, 19,000 shark fin in Ecuador and 23 tons of Pangasius in Asia have been confiscated. The world's illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars each year.