Tag: vote

This momentous decision will save countless elephants from being snatched from their families and natural environment, says Humane Society International at CITES CoP18 in Geneva

Humane Society International / Global

GENEVA—Wildlife experts from animal protection charity Humane Society International are celebrating a momentous win for elephants at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), where delegates have just affirmed in plenary the decision to limit the controversial trade of wild-caught African elephants from Zimbabwe and Botswana to zoos

The European Union presented a series of amendments to last week’s decision which would allow trade of wild-caught elephants from Zimbabwe and Botswana to zoos only if approved by the CITES Animals Committee, in consultation with the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group, an expert group that has publicly stated it does not believe there to be conservation benefits to wild caught elephants being sent to captive facilities. The amended text was passed by a vote of 87 in favour, 29 opposing and 25 abstaining.

Notably, the United States opposed both the original and amended proposal.

Audrey Delsink, wildlife director at Humane Society International/Africa says: “This is a momentous CITES decision for Africa’s elephants and despite compromised language being introduced by the EU, we are relieved by its passing. While it is disappointing that it is not an outright ban on trade in live elephants, the new language adds vital independent oversight and scrutiny. Speaking personally as an elephant field biologist I am jubilant that we have secured this victory for all the elephants who will now be spared the ordeal of being ripped away from their families. The capture of wild African elephants for export to zoos and other captive facilities is incredibly traumatizing for individual elephants as well as their social groups. Public sentiment is shifting, and people are increasingly outraged at the senseless and cruel practice of snatching baby elephants from the wild to live a life as a zoo exhibit.

“Countless elephant experts, animal lovers and celebrities from around the world urged countries to end this injustice by affirming the CITES ban, and we are so glad that our collective voices were heard. The definition of what is an appropriate destination is key, and the independent oversight by elephant specialists is critical, and so we will remain vigilant as that discussion develops, and fight against any attempts to justify or prolong trade in live baby elephants for captive purposes. We are extremely grateful to Kenya and the African Elephant Coalition for their efforts to protect wild African elephants.”

African elephants in Zimbabwe and Botswana are currently listed on Appendix II of CITES with an annotation that allows live elephants to be exported to “appropriate and acceptable” destinations. Under this definition, Zimbabwe has been capturing live baby African elephants in the wild and exporting them to zoos in China and elsewhere.

The practice has been highly controversial, drawing the condemnation of animal protection and conservation groups as well as elephant scientists who note that elephants are complex creatures who suffer both physically and psychologically as a result of captivity.

During the CITES conference, conservationist Dr Jane Goodall issued a statement of concern, and a host of celebrities such as Joanna Lumley, Ricky Gervais, Judi Dench, Pamela Anders and others submitted an open letter to European Union officials, calling on them not to oppose the CITES ban on trade in wild-caught baby African elephants ripped from their families and shipped off to foreign zoos.

ENDS

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Goodall sends plea to EU; follows open letter from Ricky Gervais, Simon Pegg, Leona Lewis, Dame Judi Dench, Alesha Dixon, Brigitte Bardot, Pamela Anderson, Thandie Newton, Evanna Lynch, Virginia McKenna, Joanna Lumley and Bryan Adams

Humane Society International / Europe

JGI

GENEVA–World-renowned conservationist Jane Goodall Ph.D., DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, and UN Messenger of Peace, has issued a heart-felt plea to the European Union not to overturn a ban passed this week at the CITES wildlife trade conference in Geneva that would end the capture of baby African elephants from the wild for export to zoos and circuses in China, the USA and elsewhere.

The ban was voted on and passed by the required 2/3 majority vote in Committee I of CITES largely because the EU was unable to vote due to a procedural issue (it had not yet filed its credentials). However a representative for the European Commission took to the floor to speak against the ban, and with its credentials now in order, the voting bloc of 28 looks set to oppose the decision in the plenary next week.

Dr. Goodall said: “This is to say that I am absolutely shocked at the thought of capturing young elephants, taking them from their families, and sending them off to a future which will inevitably involve a great deal of trauma and suffering. The bonds between infant elephants and their mothers are as strong and enduring – in some cases more so – as those between human children and their mothers.  To break that bond is cruel and inhumane. I cannot imagine any caring person agreeing to such an unethical proposal and I hope with all my heart that the EU will not vote against the provisional decision taken in CITES with a two thirds majority.”

Dr. Goodall’s message to the EU follows an open letter signed by a host of stars such as Ricky Gervais, Simon Pegg, Leona Lewis, Dame Judi Dench, Alesha Dixon, Evanna Lynch, Bryan Adams, Virginia McKenna, Thandie Newton, Pamela Anderson, Peter Egan and Jenny Seagrove. The letter was co-ordinated by Humane Society International, the Born Free Foundation, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, World Animal Protection, and David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Jeffrey Flocken, President of Humane Society International said: “The capture of African elephants from Zimbabwe and Botswana to captive facilities is highly controversial. These highly social and emotional creatures can suffer physically and psychologically in captivity. There is no excuse for allowing this heartless trade to continue. As a 28-country voting bloc, the European Union’s vote is substantial and could easily overturn the decision if it chooses to oppose the ban. We hope EU leaders take heed of Dr. Goodall’s wise words and won’t condemn more elephant families to being ripped apart.”

Ian Redmond, tropical field biologist and conservationist who is renowned for his work with great apes and elephants, also expressed his opposition to the live elephant trade, saying: “Having studied elephants, I know how important an elephant’s childhood is – every elephant child learns how to thrive in their family’s habitat and that habitat benefits from the elephants. To separate a young elephant from his or her family for a life of social and sensory deprivation in captivity is bad for the captive, bad for the grieving family left behind, and bad for the habitat.”

At present, African elephants in Zimbabwe and Botswana are allowed to be captured and exported to so-called “appropriate and acceptable” destinations based on the annotation to the Appendix II listing of their elephant populations. However, it is under these conditions that Zimbabwe has captured more than 100 live baby African elephants in the wild and exported them to zoos in China since 2012. If the EU supports the ban and it is voted through, such international trade in live wild African elephants from Zimbabwe and Botswana will cease and be limited to only “in situ conservation programmes or secure areas in the wild within the species’ natural range, except in the case of temporary transfers in emergency situations.”

Photos, video and interviews

Wildlife experts from HSI attending CITES are available for interview on request. Photos and video of the baby elephant captures are also available here.

-ENDS-

 Media contacts:

  • Humane Society International – Wendy Higgins, director of international media, whiggins@hsi.org, tel. +44 (0) 7989 972 423
  • Jane Goodall Institute – Shawn Sweeney, senior director of community engagement, ssweeney@janegoodall.org, tel. 703.682.9283

Wildlife advocates applaud global wildlife convention’s decision to regulate international trade in the species

Humane Society International / Global

Michelle Riley/HSUS

GENEVA—The Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) today agreed to protect giraffes for the first time by listing the species on Appendix II, which will now regulate international trade in giraffe parts, such as hides, bones and meat. Today’s decision now moves forward to the plenary session for full ratification on 27/28th August.

Adam Peyman, Humane Society International’s wildlife programs and operations manager, said: “Securing CITES Appendix II protection for the giraffe throws a vital lifeline to this majestic species, which has been going quietly extinct for years. This listing could not come soon enough. CITES listing will ensure that giraffe parts in international trade were legally acquired and not detrimental to the survival of the species.

Humane Society International is concerned the giraffe has been in danger of suffering a silent extinction, because the 36-40% population decline it has suffered over the past 30 years has received insufficient attention.

Once ranging over much of the semi-arid savannah and savannah woodlands of Africa, today giraffe are only found south of the Sahara and only about 68,000 mature individuals remain in the wild. The species was recently classified as ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction by the IUCN. International trade in body parts of poached giraffes threatens the survival of Critically Endangered, Endangered, small and declining giraffe populations. Other threats include habitat loss, and civil unrest.

HSI’s Adam Peyman continues: “Although this new CITES listing won’t ban the trade in giraffe parts, it will for the first time provide critical measures to track and trace this trade, which in turn should produce the data needed to further protect this imperiled species in the future. With the wild population of giraffes having dwindled to around 100,000, in order to truly protect this species from being slaughtered into extinction for trophies and trinkets, we need CITES to update its definition of what constitutes international trade. It is absurd that the scourge of trophy hunting is not currently considered trade in wild species, despite its devastating impact, and we intend to push to see that change.”

Humane Society International has examined United States trade data and found that at least 33,000 giraffe specimens were commercially imported into the country between 2006 and 2015 and almost all were wild sourced. They included bone carvings, bones, skin and bone pieces. An undercover investigation conducted by Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States in 2018 illustrated this thriving trade in giraffe.

Humane Society International warmly congratulates the governments of Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Senegal for proposing the giraffe for listing and the other countries in the African Elephant Coalition for giving it their strong support.

ENDS

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Humane Society International / Global

African elephant with calf
Anagramm/iStock.com
This release has been corrected.

GENEVA—The first vote at the 18th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties has delivered a historic win for African elephants to end the cruel practice of removing live elephants from the wild for export to captive facilities. CITES is the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Iris Ho, senior wildlife specialist for wildlife programs and policy for Humane Society International, said: “This decision will save countless elephants from being ripped away from their families in the wild and forced to spend their lifetimes imprisoned in substandard conditions at zoos. HSI applauds this decision and calls on all Parties to affirm this decision at the plenary session next week.”

CITES Parties voted to limit trade in live wild African elephants to ‘in situ’ conservation in their natural habitats, which will end the trade in live wild elephants to captivity in zoos and entertainment venues, effectively ruling them unacceptable and inappropriate destinations. (CoP18 Document 44.2)

Forty-six countries voted in favour, 18 voted against and 19 countries abstained. This achieved the 2/3 majority for the proposal to pass in committee.

Audrey Delsink, director of wildlife for Humane Society International/Africa and an elephant biologist, said, “The export of live wild elephants serves no credible conservation purpose and is opposed by numerous elephant biologists. Elephants are highly intelligent, social animals with strong family bonds. The capture of baby elephants is horribly cruel and traumatic to both the mothers, their calves and their herds that are left behind. Calves suffer psychological and physical harm when taken from their mothers. Zoos and other captive facilities force these calves to live in an unnatural, unhealthy environment that does not meet their complex needs.”

The decision applies to the elephants in Botswana and Zimbabwe* with elephant populations on Appendix II of CITES, which has an annotation that permits this trade to “appropriate and acceptable destinations.”

Zimbabwe has captured and exported more than 100 baby elephants to Chinese zoos since 2012. These calves, severely traumatized by being torn from their mothers, were subsequently abused through violent handling that included being kicked and beaten, and several have consequently died.

HSI warmly congratulates Burkina Faso, Jordan, Lebanon, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan and Syria for putting forward this important proposal, which was backed by the 32 member countries of the African Elephant Coalition.

END

Media contacts:

  • At CITES: Brianna Grant, bgrant@hsi.org, +1 518-487-0975 (cell and WhatsApp)
  • United States: Nancy Hwa, 202-596-0808 (cell), nhwa@hsi.org
*An earlier version of this news release erroneously stated that the proposal affects elephants in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The proposal applies only to Botswana and Zimbabwe.

 

 

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