Zimbabwe earns $2.7 mn by selling elephants despite ban on ivory trade

Zimbabwe has revealed that it has sold 97 live elephants to China and the United Arab Emirates between 2012 and 2018. By doing so, the country has made USD 2.7 million. The critics say that while the country is unable to sell ivory, it sells the whole animal instead.

Zimbabwe's minister for environment, tourism and hospitality industry Priscah Mupfumira said this on May 13, 2019. "Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority exported a total of 97 sub-adult elephants to China and Dubai between 2012 and January 1 2018. A total of 93 elephants were exported to China and four were exported to Dubai. The elephants were airlifted to Shanghai Wildlife Park, Jiangmeu-Hesham, Chimelong and Umurgi in China and to Dubai Safari Park. There were no elephant deaths in transit," Mupfumira said.

"The Authority received USD 2,715,000. The beneficiary of the revenue generated was the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. The funds were used to support elephant conservation activities," she added.

The elephants were sold for prices ranging from USD 13,500 to USD 41,500 each, local media in Zimbabwe reported. "We are sitting on ivory worth USD 300 million which could be sold to fund our conservation programmes as well as benefit communities living in wildlife areas," she further said.

The state-linked Chronicle newspaper published that the elephants sold off to China and Dubai were between 2 and 3-years-old, and ranged in price from USD 13,500 to USD 41,500 each. "The elephants were airlifted to Shanghai Wildlife Park, Jiangmeu-Hesham, Chimelong and Umurgi in China and to Dubai Safari Park. There were no elephant deaths in transit," she cited.

Zimbabwe stands second in the position of highest elephant population in Africa after Botswana and ahead of Namibia, Zambia and Angola. Trade in elephant ivory is restricted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna.

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