incef

Summary

This nine-minute piece deals with what remains the number one cause of death among elephants – illegal slaughter for their ivory tusks. The film was designed to provoke discussion on a number of issues:

Who truly gains economically from ivory poaching? The actual killers usually turn out to be local villagers who, despite having to take all the risk, are frequently compensated with nothing more than a few cigarettes, a pot for cooking or a mosquito net. The profits all go to those who commission the killing and take the goods out of the country, most often to countries in Asia where ivory products are valued in ways that they tend not to be in Africa.

What is the risk of punishment for poaching elephants? The film follows a recent ivory bust in Ouesso and examines the repercussions faced by those caught in the act. A hunter talks about his personal experience as a poacher and the loss he faced as a result of being caught.

What are the costs to the natural environment? African conservation specialists explain why elephants are important to the forest (as a keystone species they disperse seeds) and how their reproduction cycles make it difficult to sustain elephant populations at the rate they are still being killed.

Is there real value in being a home to elephants? The film examines the proposition that, beyond the ivory question, the attraction of healthy populations of elephants to visitors is much better for the country than the attraction of dead elephants as a source of bushmeat.