Two Americans have condemned the killing of three elephants by trophy hunters on the Tanzanian-Kenyan border within the past six months.
The President of the Humane Society of the USA, Kitty Block and the President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Sara Amundson said the latest elephant was gunned down within the greater Amboseli Ecosystem.
Block who has served as an advisor to the White House on Trade and Environment since 2009, working under Obama, Trump and Biden administrations is an influencer and has been helping communities and animals in Kenya to survive drought.
“News has come out that another bull elephant was shot and killed in Tanzania, reportedly, by an American trophy hunter from Texas,” said Block.
Block said a third elephant bull, believed to be another “super tusker,” was gunned down within the greater Amboseli Ecosystem.
“Super Tusker” elephants are mature male elephants who have at least one tusk weighing 100 pounds, and their genetic makeup is extremely rare,” said Block.
She said that it is estimated that there are as few as
50 “Super Tusker” elephants left in Africa.
“Following the hunt, the hunters allegedly burned what remained of the elephant’s body,” she said.
Block said these hunts come at a time when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has itself proposed new regulations that would significantly restrict the import of elephant trophies, after having taken the position since 2014 that elephant hunting in Tanzania is not managed consistently with conservation principles.
“In elephant societies, which are highly social and complex, every elephant plays a crucial role, and mature male elephants are essential for thriving elephant herds,” Block said in a statement.
Studies have found, she said, that male elephants dedicate more of their energy toward reproducing.
“Due to a well-defined hierarchy, it is only by age 35-40+ years that male elephants consistently reproduce, and by this time, 75 per cent of bulls will have died making this age class already disproportionately small,” she said.
The gunning down of older male elephants, she said, by trophy hunters reverberates through the whole elephant society.
Classified as endangered on the IUCN Red Data List of threatened species, African Savannah elephants already have the odds stacked against them and are just a step or two away from extinction, said Block.
Habitat loss and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade already loom over elephant families as existential threats, she added.
Kajiado County Governor Joseph Lenku has also raised concerns regarding the recent incidents of elephant trophy hunting on the Tanzanian side of the Kenya-Tanzanian border.
“As the governor and the proud custodian of the Amboseli National Park, I speak on behalf of the people of Kajiado to express our profound concern,” said Lenku, in a statement.
Lenku said the matter weighs heavily on the people of Kajiado as they share the transboundary resource and acknowledge the vital importance of collaboration conservation endeavours in preserving the shared natural heritage.
“While we respect the sovereignty of each nation, we adhere to international frameworks governing the management of transboundary resources, which are imperative at both global and regional levels,” said the governor.
He further said: “Through our participation in the East African Cooperation and our Legislative Assembly, we are committed to transborder conservation policies.”
The governor said that despite the diversity in conservation approaches across the respective countries, the two countries have reached a mutual understanding that fosters respectful resource management while honouring their shared responsibility.
“In the past few months, three of these revered elephants have tragically fallen victim to trophy hunting within Tanzania, signalling a distressing breach of the established conservation agreement,” said Lenku.
The alarming development, he said, underscores the urgent necessity for heightened vigilance and decisive action to uphold conservation efforts in the region.
The governor said the renowned elephants that inhabit the range in both northern Tanzania and Kenya region symbolise the interconnectedness of ecosystems and serve as a testament to the importance of transboundary conservation.
He said their free movement across the border highlights the need for collective action in preserving biodiversity and ensuring the long-term survival of the majestic creatures.
He said the recent issuance of three additional hunting permits by Tanzanian authorities within the sensitive context only exacerbates Kenya’s anxiety about the future of the elephants and the efficacy of conservation strategies.
“We call upon our counterparts on the Tanzanian side to carefully consider the long-term implications of such actions and to join us in preserving our shared natural heritage for future generations,” he said.
For over three decades, Lenku said, a critical moratorium has effectively protected the elephants from trophy hunting that transcends the borders.
“This measure has been established due to their immense value to global heritage, tourism promotion, and scientific research,” Lenku said.
However, he said, the recent events have raised alarming concerns as the longstanding agreement appears to be faltering.
The governor urged the Kenya government and relevant institutions, including the East African Legislative Assembly, to swiftly take action to halt the continued devastation of the elephants.
“Let us reaffirm our dedication to transboundary conservation initiatives, ensuring the protection of our shared resources for the prosperity of current and future generations,” he said.