Annual Report 2015_FINAL.compressed

Wildlife Protection
Elephant Poaching
Following escalating trends in poaching across Africa, the Lower Zambezi experienced a spike in
elephant poaching over the last two years. The year 2013 saw the lowest level of elephant poaching
in the park on record, declining from over 50 per year between 2008 and 2010, to 24 in 2011, 11 in
2012 and 5 in 2013. A total of 43 elephants were poached in the park (and 45 in surrounding GMAs)
in 2015 – a trend that is predicted to continue over the next few years. With highest demands from the
Asian and US markets (in the case of ivory), wildlife crimes are trans-boundary and need to be
addressed accordingly – at all levels of governance and justice – internationally, regionally and locally.
While addressing these problems on an international scale lies largely with government bodies and
international organisations, local governing bodies and non-governmental organisations can assist by
addressing not the causes but the symptoms on a more regional/local level. CLZ hopes to address
some of both symptoms & causes by establishing specialised anti-poaching units in conjunction with
information gathering and courtroom monitoring and support of prosecutors.
No.&of&elephants&poached&
120#
100#
80#
60#
40#
20#
Natural#GMA#
Natural#Park#
Poached#GMA#
Poached#Park#
PIKE#Park#
PIKE#GMA#
1.00#
0.80#
0.60#
0.40#
0.20#
PIKE*&
0#
0.00#
2012################## 2013################## 2014##################### 2015###################
Many#confirmed# Many#confirmed# Few#confirmed# None#confirmed#
with#anthrax# with#anthrax# with#anthrax# with#anthrax#
The year 2015 saw the highest number of elephants poached in the
Lower Zambezi on record and highlights the need for urgent action.
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