A wild elephant was brutally killed in Ngaputaw township, Ayeyarwady Region, despite the announcement of a K3 million reward for information leading to the arrest of elephant poachers.
On March 12, a local reported the killing of an elephant to the region’s forest department. The animal was skinned and its tusks were removed, according to the forest department.
The department and other governmental agencies are currently investigating the matter, according to U Khun Pyone Naing, officer of the Ngaputaw forest department.
“Most hunters are not locals. They come from other areas and persuade locals to collaborate through bribery,” he added.
In Ngaputaw township, three wild elephants were killed since January, officials said.
U Khun Pyone Naing asked for the villagers’ cooperation to fight the plight of illegal wildlife trade and to protect endangered species.
“Before this elephant, two hunters who tried to kill elephants were arrested thanks to the cooperation of locals after the reward was advertised,” said U Khun Pyone naing.
Friends of Wildlife (FOW), World Wildlife Fund and the forest department are cooperating to reduce wildlife hunting by putting up posters which read: “Please, help and cooperate to reduce the killing of wild elephants and get a chance to receive K3 million by providing information on the whereabouts of the hunters”. Posters are displayed in Ayeyarwady Region’s Ngaputaw and Thapaung townships, according to FOW, which added that killings of elephants are still ongoing.
Last year, 29 hunters were arrested and 12 wild elephants were killed while six died of natural causes in Ayeyarwady Region, according to forest department.
“The hunters arrested will be judged according to the laws such as the protection of wildlife and conservation natural areas law,” said U Khin Maung Myint, director of the Ayeyarwady Region forest department.
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Welcome to Elephant News Burma. This site is intended to be a public service to those wishing to keep up to date with events and issues affecting elephants in Burma.
Showing posts with label elephant death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elephant death. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Sunday, March 18, 2018
EU Calls on Myanmar to Take Action to Save Shrinking Elephant Population
Government urged to close down illegal wildlife markets around the country The post EU Calls on Myanmar to Take Action to Save Shrinking Elephant Population appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
YANGON—The European Union urged the Myanmar government to strengthen efforts to protect its wild elephant population, which is on the brink of extinction due to poaching to supply the illegal trade in ivory and skins, as well as to end the open sale of elephant and other illegal wildlife parts in markets in its major cities, at popular tourist sites and along its borders.In a statement to mark World Wildlife Day on Saturday, more than two dozen ambassadors of the European Union and its member states warned that Myanmar’s wild elephant population would be wiped out in a matter of years as poaching for tusks and other parts remains a huge challenge globally with Myanmar facing an “unprecedented elephant skinning crisis”.
In recent years, the Myanmar government has been working on strengthening the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Law, establishing more than 40 protected areas for wildlife, developing action plans for elephants and tigers, training and deploying rangers, and instituting wildlife training for government staff about the illegal wildlife trade. The EU and its member states have supported some of these efforts through the provision of technical support and capacity building.
“In particular, we would recommend that the Government of Myanmar ends the open sale of elephant and other illegal wildlife parts, which today are widely sold in markets in Yangon, Mandalay, Kyeikhteeyoe and along Myanmar’s borders,” the statement said.
According to WWF-Myanmar, at least one elephant is killed by hunters in Myanmar every week. Elephant skin, tail hairs, teeth and ivory are sold at tourist sites such as the Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Bago Region), while ivory is sold in Yangon and Mandalay. Large markets also operate in the ‘Golden Triangle’ border area Myanmar shares with China, Laos and Thailand.
In such markets, elephant skin is sold dried for traditional ‘medicine’ or polished into beads and sold as lucky charm bracelets. The tail hairs are put into silver rings and worn for luck.
Last month, the WWF-Myanmar met with the trustee members of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon to hold an awareness program for souvenir shop owners at the pagoda stairways to educate them on the harm done by selling ivory and other wild animal related objects.
The EU statement released on Wednesday added that as long as these markets continue to sell illegal wildlife products, Myanmar’s wildlife will be at risk, and Myanmar’s position as a global and regional illegal wildlife trade hub will continue and grow as other countries in the region close their domestic markets. China shut its domestic ivory market in January this year and Hong Kong has also committed to ban ivory trading.
“Concrete action, such as developing a more robust legal framework in line with global standards — and ensuring its effective enforcement — would send a clear message that Myanmar has a zero-tolerance approach to wildlife crime,” the statement said.
The EU ambassadors also encouraged the government to take action now so that Myanmar can attend the 2018 London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in October, not only to renew its commitments to the 2014 London Declaration on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, but also to take up its place as a regional leader in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.
In mid-February, the government launched The Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP), a strategy for the next 10 years (2018–27) with the overall aim of securing viable and ecologically functional elephant populations in Myanmar for the next century and beyond with support from international and local organizations.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, 18 wild elephants were poached in 2016, and 30 were killed last year. The current population is estimated at just 1,400-2,000, compared to 10,000 in 1997.
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Police arrest elephant poaching ring in in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy region
At least one elephant is killed by hunters in Myanmar every week, says WWF-Myanmar.
The Forestry Police arrested an elephant poaching ring in Irrawaddy Region’s Ngapudaw Township in Myanmar, The Irrawaddy reported.
poacActing on a tip, combined forces from the Forestry Police, Nga Yoke Kaung sub-township police department, the Forestry Department, village administrators and Elephant Emergency Response Units (EERU) cornered the ring in Myittayar Forest Reserve in Ngapudaw Township. Two poachers were arrested and one escaped, local village tract administrator U Kyaw Myint Tun told The Irrawaddy.
“We arrested two hunters with poaching equipment. Another poacher got away, but we are going after him. We are undertaking plans to prevent elephant poaching in our region,” he said.
The two hunters who were arrested are respectively from Rakhine State’s Taungup Township and Ngapudaw Township. The third poacher from Magwe Region is still at large.
Percussion firearms, metal bolts, iron rods, arrows, gunpowder and more were seized from the poachers, according to the Forestry Police.
“It is important to arrest poachers before they kill an elephant,” said Ko Sai Zaw Oo, an official of a local elephant conservation group in Ngapudaw Township.
Police have opened a case against the two poachers. Last year, 13 wild elephants were killed in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung, and Irrawaddy Region remains the main elephant poaching ground in Myanmar.
In February, the European Union urged the Myanmar government to strengthen efforts to protect its wild elephant population, warning that it is on the brink of extinction due to poaching to supply the illegal trade of ivory and skins.
EU ambassadors also urged the Myanmar government to end the open sale of elephant and other illegal wildlife parts in markets in its major cities, at popular tourist sites and along its borders.
According to WWF-Myanmar, at least one elephant is killed by hunters in Myanmar every week. Elephant skin, hair, teeth and ivory are sold at tourist sites such as the Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Bago Region), while ivory is sold in Yangon and Mandalay. Large markets also operate in the ‘Golden Triangle’ border area Myanmar shares with China, Laos and Thailand.
In mid-February, the government launched The Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP), a strategy for the next 10 years (2018–27) with the overall aim of securing viable and ecologically functional elephant populations in Myanmar for the next century and beyond with support from international and local organizations.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, 18 wild elephants were poached in 2016, and 30 were killed last year. The current population is estimated at just 1,400-2,000, compared to 10,000 in 1997.
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Monday, January 08, 2018
Asian Elephants Are Now Being Killed For Their Skin
The smell was ghastly and the sight even worse. Twenty-five elephants lay dead in a riverbed in the Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) delta in southwestern Myanmar. “The stench is what led villagers to the bodies in the first place,” says Aung Myo Chit, the Smithsonian Institution’s Myanmar country coordinator, who also leads a local NGO, Growth for Prosperity, that helps rural residents avoid deadly conflicts with elephants.
It was the trust Aung Myo Chit’s outreach workers had earned that led villagers of Nga Pu Taw Township to reveal the dead elephants. Ordinarily, local people avoid reporting poaching to the authorities for fear they’ll be blamed.
By the time Aung Myo Chit’s filmmaker colleague Klaus Reisinger got there in early May, the giant carcasses had deteriorated badly. “Their bellies were bloated,” Reisinger recalls with a shudder.
Captive elephants are often used to drag carcasses of elephants slain for their ivory out of riverbeds where they’re commonly found. But that wasn’t possible this time. The skin had been stripped from the bodies, leaving them to tear apart if moved. So staff with the Myanmar Forest Department who came to investigate burned them in place to prevent their contaminating the downstream water supply.
Such spectacles are familiar on African savannas, where elephants are more numerous and poachers have stalked their ivory for decades. Not so in the thick forests of Myanmar, where the country’s remaining 1,200 to 1,400 endangered wild elephants are elusive and only the males (and not all males) have tusks.
But this and other, smaller recent slaughters in the Ayeyawady delta were not ivory raids. Poachers had killed males, tuskless females, and calves alike in pursuit of a different prize: their skins.
To read the full article, click on the story title
It was the trust Aung Myo Chit’s outreach workers had earned that led villagers of Nga Pu Taw Township to reveal the dead elephants. Ordinarily, local people avoid reporting poaching to the authorities for fear they’ll be blamed.
By the time Aung Myo Chit’s filmmaker colleague Klaus Reisinger got there in early May, the giant carcasses had deteriorated badly. “Their bellies were bloated,” Reisinger recalls with a shudder.
Captive elephants are often used to drag carcasses of elephants slain for their ivory out of riverbeds where they’re commonly found. But that wasn’t possible this time. The skin had been stripped from the bodies, leaving them to tear apart if moved. So staff with the Myanmar Forest Department who came to investigate burned them in place to prevent their contaminating the downstream water supply.
Such spectacles are familiar on African savannas, where elephants are more numerous and poachers have stalked their ivory for decades. Not so in the thick forests of Myanmar, where the country’s remaining 1,200 to 1,400 endangered wild elephants are elusive and only the males (and not all males) have tusks.
But this and other, smaller recent slaughters in the Ayeyawady delta were not ivory raids. Poachers had killed males, tuskless females, and calves alike in pursuit of a different prize: their skins.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Friday, December 22, 2017
ASIAN ELEPHANTS ARE NOW BEING KILLED FOR THEIR SKIN
A lawless zone in northeastern Myanmar has cornered the market in a gruesome good: elephant skin jewellery.
The smell was ghastly and the sight even worse. Twenty-five elephants lay dead in a riverbed in the Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) delta in southwestern Myanmar. “The stench is what led villagers to the bodies in the first place,” says Aung Myo Chit, the Smithsonian Institution’s Myanmar country coordinator, who also leads a local NGO, Growth for Prosperity, that helps rural residents avoid deadly conflicts with elephants.
It was the trust Aung Myo Chit’s outreach workers had earned that led villagers of Nga Pu Taw Township to reveal the dead elephants. Ordinarily, local people avoid reporting poaching to the authorities for fear they’ll be blamed.
By the time Aung Myo Chit’s filmmaker colleague Klaus Reisinger got there in early May, the giant carcasses had deteriorated badly. “Their bellies were bloated,” Reisinger recalls with a shudder.
Captive elephants are often used to drag carcasses of elephants slain for their ivory out of riverbeds where they’re commonly found. But that wasn’t possible this time. The skin had been stripped from the bodies, leaving them to tear apart if moved. So staff with the Myanmar Forest Department who came to investigate burned them in place to prevent their contaminating the downstream water supply.
Such spectacles are familiar on African savannas, where elephants are more numerous and poachers have stalked their ivory for decades. Not so in the thick forests of Myanmar, where the country’s remaining 1,200 to 1,400 endangered wild elephants are elusive and only the males (and not all males) have tusks.
But this and other, smaller recent slaughters in the Ayeyawady delta were not ivory raids. Poachers had killed males, tuskless females, and calves alike in pursuit of a different prize: their skins.
Using elephant skin and other body parts is nothing new in Southeast Asia. In Myanmar and elsewhere—particularly in tribal areas—the skin is dried, ground, mixed with oils, and applied to treat eczema and other skin conditions.
To read the full article, click on the story title
The smell was ghastly and the sight even worse. Twenty-five elephants lay dead in a riverbed in the Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) delta in southwestern Myanmar. “The stench is what led villagers to the bodies in the first place,” says Aung Myo Chit, the Smithsonian Institution’s Myanmar country coordinator, who also leads a local NGO, Growth for Prosperity, that helps rural residents avoid deadly conflicts with elephants.
It was the trust Aung Myo Chit’s outreach workers had earned that led villagers of Nga Pu Taw Township to reveal the dead elephants. Ordinarily, local people avoid reporting poaching to the authorities for fear they’ll be blamed.
By the time Aung Myo Chit’s filmmaker colleague Klaus Reisinger got there in early May, the giant carcasses had deteriorated badly. “Their bellies were bloated,” Reisinger recalls with a shudder.
Captive elephants are often used to drag carcasses of elephants slain for their ivory out of riverbeds where they’re commonly found. But that wasn’t possible this time. The skin had been stripped from the bodies, leaving them to tear apart if moved. So staff with the Myanmar Forest Department who came to investigate burned them in place to prevent their contaminating the downstream water supply.
Such spectacles are familiar on African savannas, where elephants are more numerous and poachers have stalked their ivory for decades. Not so in the thick forests of Myanmar, where the country’s remaining 1,200 to 1,400 endangered wild elephants are elusive and only the males (and not all males) have tusks.
But this and other, smaller recent slaughters in the Ayeyawady delta were not ivory raids. Poachers had killed males, tuskless females, and calves alike in pursuit of a different prize: their skins.
Using elephant skin and other body parts is nothing new in Southeast Asia. In Myanmar and elsewhere—particularly in tribal areas—the skin is dried, ground, mixed with oils, and applied to treat eczema and other skin conditions.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Myanmar army’s landmines put elephants at risk
The IUCN Red List of Bangladesh categorized Asian elephant as “critically endangered” as the species of wild animal is now at risk of extinction.
Wildlife conservationists have expressed concern regarding the deaths and injuries to elephants caused by landmines allegedly laid by Myanmar security forces along its border with Bangladesh.
A wild elephant died after stepping on a landmine along Naikhongchari border area in Bandarban district on November 21.
Confirming the death, Divisional Forest Officer of Lama Forest Division Md Kamal Uddin said: “The giant mammal sustained injuries Monday night after stepping on a landmine in the no-man’s land along Naikhongchari border.
“The elephant died the next day.”
Expressing grave concern, eminent wildlife biologist Dr AHM Raihan Sarker told the Dhaka Tribune: “Some 350 elephants live in Bangladesh while around 5,000 of the large mammals live in Myanmar.
“It is a matter of serious concern that the Myanmar forces erected barbed wire fences and laid landmines along the border. Like any other mammal, elephants too require undisturbed feeding, breeding and resting places.”
“The movement of elephants between the two countries will be disrupted due to the landmines laid along the border,” he said, adding that the existence of the mammals will be put at great risk.
Dr Raihan, who also teaches at the Institute of Forestry & Environmental Sciences (IFES) at Chittagong University, said the home range of an elephant usually covers 300 square kilometres and these mammals always follow set routes and corridors for movement.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Wildlife conservationists have expressed concern regarding the deaths and injuries to elephants caused by landmines allegedly laid by Myanmar security forces along its border with Bangladesh.
A wild elephant died after stepping on a landmine along Naikhongchari border area in Bandarban district on November 21.
Confirming the death, Divisional Forest Officer of Lama Forest Division Md Kamal Uddin said: “The giant mammal sustained injuries Monday night after stepping on a landmine in the no-man’s land along Naikhongchari border.
“The elephant died the next day.”
Expressing grave concern, eminent wildlife biologist Dr AHM Raihan Sarker told the Dhaka Tribune: “Some 350 elephants live in Bangladesh while around 5,000 of the large mammals live in Myanmar.
“It is a matter of serious concern that the Myanmar forces erected barbed wire fences and laid landmines along the border. Like any other mammal, elephants too require undisturbed feeding, breeding and resting places.”
“The movement of elephants between the two countries will be disrupted due to the landmines laid along the border,” he said, adding that the existence of the mammals will be put at great risk.
Dr Raihan, who also teaches at the Institute of Forestry & Environmental Sciences (IFES) at Chittagong University, said the home range of an elephant usually covers 300 square kilometres and these mammals always follow set routes and corridors for movement.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Thursday, December 14, 2017
15-day-old elephant dies at orphan rescue camp
AN elephant calf of only fifteen days old died at Winga Baw orphan elephants camp, said an officer of the camp U Sein Lwin on Wednesday.
The calf had been rescued by local farmers in Nga Pu Taw township, Ayeyarwady Region, and handed to the Forestry Department before being transferred to Winga Baw camp. Three days after her arrival, she felt ill due to injuries.
Upon arrival in the camp, she already seemed weak and suffered from several injuries, said U Sein Lwin:
“I think, she couldn’t get milk from her mother. She seemed very tired and couldn’t even drink milk in the camp. We took care of her very well but she was unlucky. The first day in the camp, she was still okay, but later she got sick”.
The calf, which was named ‘Ayear Soe’, was buried in a grave in the camp.
Winga Baw elephant camp is located in Bago Region and it is the only camp that takes care of baby elephants in Myanmar.
There are currently seven elephant calves in the camp. All of them are in good health, said U Sein Lwin.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.mmtimes.com/news/15-day-old-elephant-dies-orphan-rescue-camp.html
The calf had been rescued by local farmers in Nga Pu Taw township, Ayeyarwady Region, and handed to the Forestry Department before being transferred to Winga Baw camp. Three days after her arrival, she felt ill due to injuries.
Upon arrival in the camp, she already seemed weak and suffered from several injuries, said U Sein Lwin:
“I think, she couldn’t get milk from her mother. She seemed very tired and couldn’t even drink milk in the camp. We took care of her very well but she was unlucky. The first day in the camp, she was still okay, but later she got sick”.
The calf, which was named ‘Ayear Soe’, was buried in a grave in the camp.
Winga Baw elephant camp is located in Bago Region and it is the only camp that takes care of baby elephants in Myanmar.
There are currently seven elephant calves in the camp. All of them are in good health, said U Sein Lwin.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.mmtimes.com/news/15-day-old-elephant-dies-orphan-rescue-camp.html
Friday, November 24, 2017
As Myanmar’s elephants vanish, artists bring them to life in downtown Yangon
COMMUTERS could be excused for thinking someone spiked their morning laphet yay with reports of a rather unusual site in downtown Yangon today; a herd of elephants out the front of city hall towering above the gridlock of cars and busses.
But these aren’t hallucinations. This very real sculpture exhibition marks the beginning of a six-month campaign to draw attention to elephant poaching and confront the crisis which has seen Myanmar’s wild elephant population reduced to alarming levels.
One of the seven giant paper mache elephants that make up the sculpture piece ‘We Love Our Momos’ was made with old newspaper clippings of environmental stories which includes coverage of the brutal killings of elephants for their skin to waste disposal problems in Yangon.
‘We Love Our Momos’, on display from November 4 to 6 at Mahabandoola Park in downtown Yangon, is part of the ‘Voices for Momos’ campaign organized by a coalition of conservation organizations including World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Fauna and Flora International (FFI).
“I’ve always wanted to make giant elephant sculptures but they also reflect the current situation of elephant killings,” said graffiti artist Arker Kyaw, who led a team of artists in the construction of the sculptures.
The team which included master bamboo sculptor U Myint have been building the seven giant elephants since September.
To read the full article, click on the story title
But these aren’t hallucinations. This very real sculpture exhibition marks the beginning of a six-month campaign to draw attention to elephant poaching and confront the crisis which has seen Myanmar’s wild elephant population reduced to alarming levels.
One of the seven giant paper mache elephants that make up the sculpture piece ‘We Love Our Momos’ was made with old newspaper clippings of environmental stories which includes coverage of the brutal killings of elephants for their skin to waste disposal problems in Yangon.
‘We Love Our Momos’, on display from November 4 to 6 at Mahabandoola Park in downtown Yangon, is part of the ‘Voices for Momos’ campaign organized by a coalition of conservation organizations including World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Fauna and Flora International (FFI).
“I’ve always wanted to make giant elephant sculptures but they also reflect the current situation of elephant killings,” said graffiti artist Arker Kyaw, who led a team of artists in the construction of the sculptures.
The team which included master bamboo sculptor U Myint have been building the seven giant elephants since September.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Terrifying new elephant poaching epidemic to meet demand for ‘health’ jewellery made from their skin
Lying slaughtered in a forest clearing, its skin half-peeled, the elephant is one of 20 found dead the same day, many of them mothers and calves, all killed by poisoned dart.
But these animals were not butchered for their precious ivory tusks; they were killed for their thick, grey hide.
It is hacked off while their bodies are still warm. The rest of the beast is left to rot.
Just last week Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced plans to ban all ivory sales in the UK, in an attempt to help save elephants across the globe.
But the Mirror has learned that record numbers of Asian elephants face a terrifying new poaching epidemic – for a sick trend of jewellery made from their skin.
Monica Wrobel, head of conservation at wildlife charity Elephant Family, said: “These elephants were killed to order. The herd were tracked, slaughtered, and every bit of skin taken.”
The skin is polished and made into blood-red beads, which are sold as bracelets and necklaces at up to £75 each. Traders claim they can ward off illness.
Demand for the illegal jewellery is already so high in China that dealers are demanding more elephant skin from smugglers.
Last year, rangers found more than 60 elephants butchered for skin in Myanmar, formerly Burma – now the epicentre of this poaching epidemic.
This year has been worse. Investigators seized 66 trunks in a single haul. Two herds were slaughtered, with a further six skinned elephants found in six weeks in the summer.
And if demand for beads continues to grow at this rate, these already endangered animals could be poached to the brink of extinction within two years.
To read the full article, click on the story title
But these animals were not butchered for their precious ivory tusks; they were killed for their thick, grey hide.
It is hacked off while their bodies are still warm. The rest of the beast is left to rot.
Just last week Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced plans to ban all ivory sales in the UK, in an attempt to help save elephants across the globe.
But the Mirror has learned that record numbers of Asian elephants face a terrifying new poaching epidemic – for a sick trend of jewellery made from their skin.
Monica Wrobel, head of conservation at wildlife charity Elephant Family, said: “These elephants were killed to order. The herd were tracked, slaughtered, and every bit of skin taken.”
The skin is polished and made into blood-red beads, which are sold as bracelets and necklaces at up to £75 each. Traders claim they can ward off illness.
Demand for the illegal jewellery is already so high in China that dealers are demanding more elephant skin from smugglers.
Last year, rangers found more than 60 elephants butchered for skin in Myanmar, formerly Burma – now the epicentre of this poaching epidemic.
This year has been worse. Investigators seized 66 trunks in a single haul. Two herds were slaughtered, with a further six skinned elephants found in six weeks in the summer.
And if demand for beads continues to grow at this rate, these already endangered animals could be poached to the brink of extinction within two years.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Saturday, September 02, 2017
Myanmar elephant killings raise fears of extinction
At least 30 elephants have been reported killed in Myanmar this year, according to a joint report by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna and Flora International (FFI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released on August 12, in honor of World Elephant Day.
This year’s death toll exceeds numbers reported in previous years, raising concerns among wildlife conservation professionals about the survival of Myanmar’s wild elephant population.
“This year, 30 elephants have been killed by hunters. Over six weeks, five elephants were killed. It is a bit higher than the average annual number of elephant deaths,” said Aung Myo Chit, the coordinator of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Myanmar.
Myanmar’s wild elephant population is thought to have almost halved over the past decade to between 2,000 and 3,000, though some estimates put the number far lower.
Some elephants are killed in wars waged against humans over land and resources. According to government figures, since 2010, at least 35 people and 95 elephants have died this way.
Even more elephants, however, are targeted by hunters, who use poisoned arrows or rifles to kill the animals so they can sell their body parts. Elephant poaching is thought to have increased tenfold in recent years.
“The illegal trade in elephant skin is rampant,” said Mark Grindley, the Taninthayi programme manager for FFI. “People are using skin as jewelry and medicine. There is an illegal trade in elephant skin and parts of other wild animals at famous destinations like Yangon and Kyaiktiyio Pagoda.”
Elephant skin can sell for up to K5,000 (US$3.65) per square inch.
“Poachers kill female and baby elephants for their skin,” said FFI Taninthayi field coordinator Nay Myo Shwe. “Myanmar’s elephants face extinction if it continues.”
Fortunately, wildlife organizations have stepped up to address the poaching crisis. WWF announced on August 10 that it had raised $263,211 from 3,000 supporters to fund an emergency action plan to train rangers to fight wildlife crime.
“Training rangers is the first step on our journey to win this battle against poachers,” said Christy Williams, country director of WWF Myanmar. “Rangers are on the conservation frontlines, protecting the world’s natural and cultural treasures. With their commitment and the help of our supporters, there is hope for Asian elephants.”
The donations funded an eight-day training on law enforcement methods, intelligence gathering and crime scene management for 45 Myanmar rangers. They were also given lessons on the value of biodiversity.
The rangers are expected to begin patrolling next month.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.burmeseclassic.org/news_detail_m.php?id=4907&type=3
This year’s death toll exceeds numbers reported in previous years, raising concerns among wildlife conservation professionals about the survival of Myanmar’s wild elephant population.
“This year, 30 elephants have been killed by hunters. Over six weeks, five elephants were killed. It is a bit higher than the average annual number of elephant deaths,” said Aung Myo Chit, the coordinator of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Myanmar.
Myanmar’s wild elephant population is thought to have almost halved over the past decade to between 2,000 and 3,000, though some estimates put the number far lower.
Some elephants are killed in wars waged against humans over land and resources. According to government figures, since 2010, at least 35 people and 95 elephants have died this way.
Even more elephants, however, are targeted by hunters, who use poisoned arrows or rifles to kill the animals so they can sell their body parts. Elephant poaching is thought to have increased tenfold in recent years.
“The illegal trade in elephant skin is rampant,” said Mark Grindley, the Taninthayi programme manager for FFI. “People are using skin as jewelry and medicine. There is an illegal trade in elephant skin and parts of other wild animals at famous destinations like Yangon and Kyaiktiyio Pagoda.”
Elephant skin can sell for up to K5,000 (US$3.65) per square inch.
“Poachers kill female and baby elephants for their skin,” said FFI Taninthayi field coordinator Nay Myo Shwe. “Myanmar’s elephants face extinction if it continues.”
Fortunately, wildlife organizations have stepped up to address the poaching crisis. WWF announced on August 10 that it had raised $263,211 from 3,000 supporters to fund an emergency action plan to train rangers to fight wildlife crime.
“Training rangers is the first step on our journey to win this battle against poachers,” said Christy Williams, country director of WWF Myanmar. “Rangers are on the conservation frontlines, protecting the world’s natural and cultural treasures. With their commitment and the help of our supporters, there is hope for Asian elephants.”
The donations funded an eight-day training on law enforcement methods, intelligence gathering and crime scene management for 45 Myanmar rangers. They were also given lessons on the value of biodiversity.
The rangers are expected to begin patrolling next month.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.burmeseclassic.org/news_detail_m.php?id=4907&type=3
Suspect shot in elephant poacher bust
The body of a wild elephant killed in Ayeyawady Region.
A suspected elephant poacher was shot while resisting arrest during a police bust on August 13 in Thabaung Township, Ayeyawady Region.
Suspect Cho Tin, a 55-year-old resident of Ayeywady Region, was wounded on his right thigh and is now being treated at the Pathein General Hospital. Two other suspects who were with Chi Tin at the time of the attempted arrest are on the loose, according to police.
Police Captain Myo Lwin of Thabaung Township said: “We’ve heard about elephant poachers in this region. After spotting a slaughtered elephant, we continued looking for suspects and found them in the middle of the forest. One suspect was aiming his gun at us, so we had to shoot him. The wound was not critical.”
The police also seized two guns, four small tusks and other remains of an elephant.
Soe Tint, chief of the Thabaung Township forestry department, said: “The dead elephant we found was huge. So I assume the poachers are working in large numbers.”
The suspect will face charges for hunting wildlife and carrying weapons.
Police, army and forest guards are carrying out operations against elephant poachers in Thabaung, Ngaputaw and Pathein townships.
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A suspected elephant poacher was shot while resisting arrest during a police bust on August 13 in Thabaung Township, Ayeyawady Region.
Suspect Cho Tin, a 55-year-old resident of Ayeywady Region, was wounded on his right thigh and is now being treated at the Pathein General Hospital. Two other suspects who were with Chi Tin at the time of the attempted arrest are on the loose, according to police.
Police Captain Myo Lwin of Thabaung Township said: “We’ve heard about elephant poachers in this region. After spotting a slaughtered elephant, we continued looking for suspects and found them in the middle of the forest. One suspect was aiming his gun at us, so we had to shoot him. The wound was not critical.”
The police also seized two guns, four small tusks and other remains of an elephant.
Soe Tint, chief of the Thabaung Township forestry department, said: “The dead elephant we found was huge. So I assume the poachers are working in large numbers.”
The suspect will face charges for hunting wildlife and carrying weapons.
Police, army and forest guards are carrying out operations against elephant poachers in Thabaung, Ngaputaw and Pathein townships.
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Sunday, August 27, 2017
Traditional medicine threatens Myanmar’s elephants
Trade in elephant skin for use in traditional medicine has increased in Myanmar, alarming conservationists and authorities who have monitored the species’ decline.
Hand-sized coarse pieces of elephant skin are available for sale in major markets in the country, and are sought by clients for their medicinal properties as per local beliefs.
“We have always seen elephant skin for sale. The problem is not new, but yes, the demand is growing,” Chris Shepherd, the Southeast Asia director of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, told Efe news.
Shepherd said the network had found elephant skin in areas as diverse as the Mongla region in eastern Myanmar, bordering China, and the famous “Golden Rock” in the south.
“The main destination is China, in places such as Mongla Chinese currency is used, Chinese is spoken and the clients too are from that country. However, there is also local consumption,” he explained.
Laminated strips of elephant hide can be found along with other valued parts of the animal, such as tusks and hooves, and different birds, felines, primates and reptiles.
The government and conservationists are not in agreement on the number of elephants killed by traffickers.
While the authorities say that at least around a dozen pachyderms were killed last year, nonprofits claim the number is more than 50 and report an increase in hunting in 2017.
Elephant skin costs around 150,000 Myanmar kyat ($110) for a kg, and is used in traditional medicine to cure eczema and other skin problems, and as an ingredient to make ointments for bleaching treatments.
In January, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation approved a 10-year plan with the aim of boosting the protection and conservation of elephants.
According to unofficial figures, there are between 1,400 and 2,000 wild elephants and some 6,000 in captivity in Myanmar.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.india.com/news/agencies/traditional-medicine-threatens-myanmars-elephants-2317721/
Hand-sized coarse pieces of elephant skin are available for sale in major markets in the country, and are sought by clients for their medicinal properties as per local beliefs.
“We have always seen elephant skin for sale. The problem is not new, but yes, the demand is growing,” Chris Shepherd, the Southeast Asia director of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, told Efe news.
Shepherd said the network had found elephant skin in areas as diverse as the Mongla region in eastern Myanmar, bordering China, and the famous “Golden Rock” in the south.
“The main destination is China, in places such as Mongla Chinese currency is used, Chinese is spoken and the clients too are from that country. However, there is also local consumption,” he explained.
Laminated strips of elephant hide can be found along with other valued parts of the animal, such as tusks and hooves, and different birds, felines, primates and reptiles.
The government and conservationists are not in agreement on the number of elephants killed by traffickers.
While the authorities say that at least around a dozen pachyderms were killed last year, nonprofits claim the number is more than 50 and report an increase in hunting in 2017.
Elephant skin costs around 150,000 Myanmar kyat ($110) for a kg, and is used in traditional medicine to cure eczema and other skin problems, and as an ingredient to make ointments for bleaching treatments.
In January, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation approved a 10-year plan with the aim of boosting the protection and conservation of elephants.
According to unofficial figures, there are between 1,400 and 2,000 wild elephants and some 6,000 in captivity in Myanmar.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.india.com/news/agencies/traditional-medicine-threatens-myanmars-elephants-2317721/
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Elephant Killed by Poisoned Bolt in Irrawaddy Region
PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — A wild elephant was hunted and killed with a poisoned bolt—an arrow shot from a crossbow—in the village tract of Tin Chaung in Irrawaddy Region’s Ngapudaw Township.
Following a report from locals, a combined team from the Forestry Department, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, police, forestry police and administrative authorities searched the forest and found the dying elephant near the village of Yawn Yin on Friday.
“After it was reported, we searched for and found the poisoned elephant. It had not died yet and the poachers were likely waiting for it to die. We had to flee at one point when it tried to attack but it died later in the evening,” head of Ngapudaw Township Forestry Department U Tin Soe told The Irrawaddy.
The black female elephant was 26 years old, 7.6 feet long, 15 feet in circumference, and its trunk was 4.8 feet long. A 16-inch poisoned bolt was found in its shoulder.
Nine elephants have been killed by poachers in Irrawaddy Region as of January, all by poisoned bolts, according to the Irrawaddy Region Police Force.
Forest reserves in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung townships in Pathein District are home to wild elephants.
Poachers take the tusks, hide, flesh, and tails from hunted elephants and sell them to smugglers along the Pathein-Mawtin road. From there, smugglers take the items via the Pathein-Monywa road to Mandalay Region, where they smuggle them into China via the Mandalay-Muse road.
The majority of the elephant poachers have been from Minbu, Ngape, and Sidoktaya townships in Magwe Region, according to the Irrawaddy Region Police Force.
“We’ve opened a case at the police station, and we are working to find the poachers,” said U Tin Soe.
Locals have suggested conducting routine security patrols around the forest and installing inspection gates along the route to prevent poaching.
Last year, poachers killed 13 wild elephants in the region and police arrested hunters in four of the cases. They are still investigating six cases and closed three cases, as they could not identify the poachers.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/elephant-killed-poisoned-bolt-irrawaddy-region.html
Following a report from locals, a combined team from the Forestry Department, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, police, forestry police and administrative authorities searched the forest and found the dying elephant near the village of Yawn Yin on Friday.
“After it was reported, we searched for and found the poisoned elephant. It had not died yet and the poachers were likely waiting for it to die. We had to flee at one point when it tried to attack but it died later in the evening,” head of Ngapudaw Township Forestry Department U Tin Soe told The Irrawaddy.
The black female elephant was 26 years old, 7.6 feet long, 15 feet in circumference, and its trunk was 4.8 feet long. A 16-inch poisoned bolt was found in its shoulder.
Nine elephants have been killed by poachers in Irrawaddy Region as of January, all by poisoned bolts, according to the Irrawaddy Region Police Force.
Forest reserves in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung townships in Pathein District are home to wild elephants.
Poachers take the tusks, hide, flesh, and tails from hunted elephants and sell them to smugglers along the Pathein-Mawtin road. From there, smugglers take the items via the Pathein-Monywa road to Mandalay Region, where they smuggle them into China via the Mandalay-Muse road.
The majority of the elephant poachers have been from Minbu, Ngape, and Sidoktaya townships in Magwe Region, according to the Irrawaddy Region Police Force.
“We’ve opened a case at the police station, and we are working to find the poachers,” said U Tin Soe.
Locals have suggested conducting routine security patrols around the forest and installing inspection gates along the route to prevent poaching.
Last year, poachers killed 13 wild elephants in the region and police arrested hunters in four of the cases. They are still investigating six cases and closed three cases, as they could not identify the poachers.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/elephant-killed-poisoned-bolt-irrawaddy-region.html
Saturday, August 05, 2017
Trade in traditional medicine threatens Myanmar's elephants
Trade in elephant skin for use in traditional medicine has increased in Myanmar, alarming conservationists and authorities who have monitored the species' decline.
Hand-sized coarse pieces of elephant skin are available for sale in major markets in the country, and are sought by clients for their medicinal properties as per local beliefs.
"We have always seen elephant skin for sale. The problem is not new, but yes, the demand is growing," Chris Shepherd, the Southeast Asia director of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, told Efe news.
Shepherd said the network had found elephant skin in areas as diverse as the Mongla region in eastern Myanmar, bordering China, and the famous "Golden Rock" in the south.
"The main destination is China, in places such as Mongla Chinese currency is used, Chinese is spoken and the clients too are from that country. However, there is also local consumption," he explained.
Laminated strips of elephant hide can be found along with other valued parts of the animal, such as tusks and hooves, and different birds, felines, primates and reptiles.
The government and conservationists are not in agreement on the number of elephants killed by traffickers.
While the authorities say that at least around a dozen pachyderms were killed last year, nonprofits claim the number is more than 50 and report an increase in hunting in 2017.
Elephant skin costs around 150,000 Myanmar kyat ($110) for a kg, and is used in traditional medicine to cure eczema and other skin problems, and as an ingredient to make ointments for bleaching treatments.
In January, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation approved a 10-year plan with the aim of boosting the protection and conservation of elephants.
According to unofficial figures, there are between 1,400 and 2,000 wild elephants and some 6,000 in captivity in Myanmar.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://en.prothom-alo.com/environment/news/153595/Trade-in-traditional-medicine-threatens-Myanmar-s
Hand-sized coarse pieces of elephant skin are available for sale in major markets in the country, and are sought by clients for their medicinal properties as per local beliefs.
"We have always seen elephant skin for sale. The problem is not new, but yes, the demand is growing," Chris Shepherd, the Southeast Asia director of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, told Efe news.
Shepherd said the network had found elephant skin in areas as diverse as the Mongla region in eastern Myanmar, bordering China, and the famous "Golden Rock" in the south.
"The main destination is China, in places such as Mongla Chinese currency is used, Chinese is spoken and the clients too are from that country. However, there is also local consumption," he explained.
Laminated strips of elephant hide can be found along with other valued parts of the animal, such as tusks and hooves, and different birds, felines, primates and reptiles.
The government and conservationists are not in agreement on the number of elephants killed by traffickers.
While the authorities say that at least around a dozen pachyderms were killed last year, nonprofits claim the number is more than 50 and report an increase in hunting in 2017.
Elephant skin costs around 150,000 Myanmar kyat ($110) for a kg, and is used in traditional medicine to cure eczema and other skin problems, and as an ingredient to make ointments for bleaching treatments.
In January, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation approved a 10-year plan with the aim of boosting the protection and conservation of elephants.
According to unofficial figures, there are between 1,400 and 2,000 wild elephants and some 6,000 in captivity in Myanmar.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://en.prothom-alo.com/environment/news/153595/Trade-in-traditional-medicine-threatens-Myanmar-s
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Wild elephant found dead
The wild female elephant found dead outside of Kyaukchaunggyi forest reserve (Photo-EMG)
A wild female elephant was found dead on July 7 outside Kyaukchaunggyi forest reserve near Waryar village in Pathein Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region, according to regional police.
A combined team of police and officials from the forestry department inspected the corpse.
“We can’t tell how she died. A process is ongoing to find the cause of death and no police case has yet been filed,” said police officer Win Myint Tun from Thaletkwar.
The dead elephant was estimated to be 30. She was black, about seven feet in height and nine feet long.
Veterinarian Dr Than Nyunt Oo from the forestry department would conduct a medical examination, the police said.
Ayeyarwaddy regional police said a poisoned male elephant was found dead on June 13 in the same township.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/10462
A wild female elephant was found dead on July 7 outside Kyaukchaunggyi forest reserve near Waryar village in Pathein Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region, according to regional police.
A combined team of police and officials from the forestry department inspected the corpse.
“We can’t tell how she died. A process is ongoing to find the cause of death and no police case has yet been filed,” said police officer Win Myint Tun from Thaletkwar.
The dead elephant was estimated to be 30. She was black, about seven feet in height and nine feet long.
Veterinarian Dr Than Nyunt Oo from the forestry department would conduct a medical examination, the police said.
Ayeyarwaddy regional police said a poisoned male elephant was found dead on June 13 in the same township.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/10462
Monday, July 17, 2017
Over 4,700 domesticated elephants used in Myanmar for economic undertakings
A total of 4,748 domesticated elephants in Myanmar are being used in timber extraction, heavy lifting as well as for riding at eco-tourism sites, official media reported on Wednesday.
However, about 72 wild elephants were killed by hunters from 2010 to 2017. Myanmar now has nearly 2,500 wild elephants in rainforests.
To protect wild elephants against hunters, Myanmar government has built wild elephant reserves, including those in Hukaung Valley, Alaungdaw Kathapa, Shwe U Daung, Myauk Zar Mayee, Rakhine and Yoma.
Myanmar has also signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to protect wild elephants, setting aside 9,205 square miles for elephant sanctuaries.
Both local and international non-governmental organizations are exerting efforts to expand the area of land for wildlife reserves in the country.
At present, a local NGO and an elephant conservation organization from Australia are planning to establish an elephant reserve in the country.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://en.gmw.cn/2017-06/28/content_24924067.htm
However, about 72 wild elephants were killed by hunters from 2010 to 2017. Myanmar now has nearly 2,500 wild elephants in rainforests.
To protect wild elephants against hunters, Myanmar government has built wild elephant reserves, including those in Hukaung Valley, Alaungdaw Kathapa, Shwe U Daung, Myauk Zar Mayee, Rakhine and Yoma.
Myanmar has also signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to protect wild elephants, setting aside 9,205 square miles for elephant sanctuaries.
Both local and international non-governmental organizations are exerting efforts to expand the area of land for wildlife reserves in the country.
At present, a local NGO and an elephant conservation organization from Australia are planning to establish an elephant reserve in the country.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://en.gmw.cn/2017-06/28/content_24924067.htm
Monday, July 03, 2017
Wild elephant poisoned in Pathein
A wild elephant was found dead in Thalatkhwar forest reserve in Pathein Township, Ayeyawady Region, on June 13 with forensic tests showing it died of poisoning, not natural causes, according to the Patheintaung Timber Enterprise.
"The elephant was found to have an arrow wound with bleeding from its trunk and anus. We found that the elephant died of poisoning, not natural causes," said Myo Aung, manager of the enterprise.
He added that the elephant might have been shot far from the scene where it was found dead.
It was a male, almost 8 feet long and six feet tall.
The township forestry department, police and Madawgon village administrator were jointly investigating, it was announced.
Wild elephants are frequently found dead or killed in forests.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/10066
"The elephant was found to have an arrow wound with bleeding from its trunk and anus. We found that the elephant died of poisoning, not natural causes," said Myo Aung, manager of the enterprise.
He added that the elephant might have been shot far from the scene where it was found dead.
It was a male, almost 8 feet long and six feet tall.
The township forestry department, police and Madawgon village administrator were jointly investigating, it was announced.
Wild elephants are frequently found dead or killed in forests.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/10066
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Captive elephants in Burma may be released to boost numbers
Hundreds of unemployed elephants in Burma, laid off from the once-booming timber trade, have emerged as potential saviours of the animal population.
One of the largest surviving wild elephant populations in Asia is being pushed to the brink as hunters feed demand for their hides in neighbouring China. Dozens of carcasses, stripped of their skins, have been found by villagers in recent months.
Campaigners have warned that hunters are increasingly targeting mothers and their calves, which will accelerate the slide in elephant numbers. In many cases, the poachers have used poisoned arrows to bring down their quarry, causing a slow, painful death.
To read the full article, click on the story title
One of the largest surviving wild elephant populations in Asia is being pushed to the brink as hunters feed demand for their hides in neighbouring China. Dozens of carcasses, stripped of their skins, have been found by villagers in recent months.
Campaigners have warned that hunters are increasingly targeting mothers and their calves, which will accelerate the slide in elephant numbers. In many cases, the poachers have used poisoned arrows to bring down their quarry, causing a slow, painful death.
To read the full article, click on the story title
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