Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said his country's elephant herds faced extinction following a wildlife poaching boom in east Africa's second-largest economy. Kikwete said a new census at the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem, one of the country's biggest wildlife sanctuaries, revealed the elephant population had plummeted to just 13,084 from 38,975 in 2009, representing a 66-percent decline. "If this (ivory and rhino horn) trade is ended, not a single elephant will be killed. But the poaching has revived in recent years, driven by fast-rising demand for ivory and rhino horn in Asia in tandem with growing Chinese influence and investment in Africa.
Tanzania president says poaching boom threatens elephant population
TAGNews
