What We Can Do
The most critical action we must take in saving the African Elephant is decreasing the demand for ivory. Without such a booming market for ivory, there would be little reason to kill the elephants. Therefore, education among ivory consumers is crucial. With China being the top market for ivory, we must start there. A study of Chinese consumers revealed that 70 percent believed that tusks fall off living elephants naturally (Lyons 2013). It is clear that many do not realize the horrifying fate they condemn these creatures to, and therefore education is absolutely necessary. In Chinese cultures, it is not recognized as a problem, nor do they really fully understand the process for which ivory is extracted. Using the Chinese media to share the store of the elephants and to educate those purchasing the ivory would provide consumers with the gruesome truth. Sharing news stories of the decline of elephant populations and the brutality they are faced with would make a world of difference in saving them. Perhaps even creating a children's cartoon or movie based on an elephant would show the elephant as an animal with human connections, rather than just a means for ivory.
In Kenya, their anti-poaching policy authorizes park rangers to shoot to kill armed poachers who resist. Although this may be a harsh punishment, it has made an enormous difference among their African Elephant populations. This may be a solution that other countries might need to consider, as increased enforcements and stricter punishments for poachers are both necessary. Kenya also has a private philanthropy, the Big Life Foundation, that employs community members as park rangers to protect their elephant populations. By providing competitive pay and a stable job, this philanthropy has not only worked to save elephants but also boost the standard of living among communities (Battle for the Elephants). Other countries in Africa should provide this as an option.
Although the trade of ivory was banned in 1989, ivory which was obtained pre-ban still remains legal, which only helps keep the trade alive as it is extremely difficult to determine when the ivory was poached. The ban of all ivory trade must be placed in order to save the elephants.
Another solution may be to try a "constant effort" exploitation approach, by removing a constant number of African Elephants by poachers. This may help sustain the populations and help prevent further overexploitation. This may give poachers an incentive to maintain elephant populations so they can continue to reap benefits. If poachers continue to kill elephants at the current rate, African Elephants will go extinct, and there will be no ivory left to poach.
