Illegal elephant trade flourishes in Burma: TRAFFIC

Salai Pi Pi, Mizzina
12 December 2008

New Delhi (Mizzima) – With at least 250 elephants and ivory being smuggled out of Burma in a decade, the Southeast Asian nation faces a sharp come down in its pachyderm population, a new report reveals.

The report, by the wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC, said being the centre of an illegal trade for elephants and ivory, Burma is losing out on precious animals to poachers and is subject to illegal trade, where elephants are sold mainly to neighbouring countries for 'Elephant Trekking'.

Chris R. Shepherd, TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia Senior Program Officer, said, "The elephant population in Myanmar [Burma] is declining due to poaching and illegal cross border trade."

Shepherd citing traders involved in the illegal trade, said most elephants are smuggled out to neighbouring Thailand, to be used in trekking in the tourism industry and for entertainment.

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