Interpol announced on Monday that in an operation targeting the "biggest ever transnational wildlife crime operation in Africa" they arrested more than 100 people and seized more than 2 tons of ivory. The very successful 'Operation Costa' worked across six Eastern African countries with police, wildlife, customs, and national intelligence agencies. The inspections, raids, and arrests took place in markets in these countries. This operation was one of the biggest busts on record, and shows the willingness of law enforcement to defeat wildlife crime. The illegal ivory trade not only harms animals, but has killed many law enforcement officers, threatened citizens with violence, corruption, and negatively impacted the economy.
I have seen many gruesome images of the effects of illegal poaching in Africa. Being an animal lover, it is always hard to hear and see such majestic creatures as elephants reduced to a rotting carcass and some ivory tusks. Hopefully a successful raid like this will help to destroy the ivory trade and poaching business. There must be consequences around the globe for endangering species of animals simply for the sake of greed. Slaughtering an enormous elephant, simply to harvest two tusks and leave the rest is an incredibly inconsiderate and wasteful act. I hope that people who contribute to the ivory trade by purchasing such contraband realize what they are a part of. I think that a far more profitable business would be to invest in the natural beauty of the land and animals of Africa. Protecting these valuable resources will do abundant good for people and the world.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/30/kenya.poaching.arrests/index.htmleref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
I have seen many gruesome images of the effects of illegal poaching in Africa. Being an animal lover, it is always hard to hear and see such majestic creatures as elephants reduced to a rotting carcass and some ivory tusks. Hopefully a successful raid like this will help to destroy the ivory trade and poaching business. There must be consequences around the globe for endangering species of animals simply for the sake of greed. Slaughtering an enormous elephant, simply to harvest two tusks and leave the rest is an incredibly inconsiderate and wasteful act. I hope that people who contribute to the ivory trade by purchasing such contraband realize what they are a part of. I think that a far more profitable business would be to invest in the natural beauty of the land and animals of Africa. Protecting these valuable resources will do abundant good for people and the world.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/30/kenya.poaching.arrests/index.htmleref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
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