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Elephants on Verge of Extinction
Illegal hunting could kill off African population in 15 years
By Kevin Spak
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Posted Oct 19, 09 1:44 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Within 15 years, African elephants could be extinct as a consequence of rampant ivory poaching, conservation experts say. Africa's elephant population numbers just 600,000, and that number appears to be dwindling by about 38,000 a year. That’s faster than the birth rate. One animal welfare group is urging countries to crack down on the ivory trade to slow the die-off.
“Most people will be shocked to hear that, 20 years on from a ban on international ivory trade, elephants in Africa are still threatened by commercial poaching,” the director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare tells the Telegraph. “The ivory trade must be banned once again, and comprehensively, if we want to prevent the extinction of elephants. Sadly, the truth is that ivory trade anywhere is a threat to elephants everywhere.”