BookBridget Martin.
Summary: Written with passion for anyone interested in seeing an end to the illegal trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, this book shows how, by working together, people all over the world who care about these animals are gradually bringing about change for the better. It takes an overview of how the current situation came to pass by exploring poaching and its devastating consequences and the pivotal role of organized crime. The discussion of how matters are starting to improve covers the investigation and monitoring of ivory markets, sustainable uses and the key role of local communities. Enforcement of the law is vital in this story. Enter the enforcers, the technology they use to defeat the poachers and the evidence they require to prosecute offenders. Cases, some deeply shocking, are included, as well as a number of fascinating case studies, while the exploits of organized crime gangs make lively, as well as disturbing reading. Throughout the message is clear. We can and must save these animals from extinction.
Contents:
Introduction
The animals : elephants, rhinos and people
CITES and the CBD
Sustainable use : golden thread or fool's gold?
Elephant ivory and rhino horn
The products, their retail outlets, their sellers and their buyers
Poaching and its consequences
The survivors
Smugglers and smuggling routes
The one-off sales of elephant ivory and their aftermath
The confusing nature of ivory markets
Researchers and their methodology
Markets in Africa
Markets in Southeast Asia
Markets in the USA
Markets in the UK
The history of rhinoceros listing on CITES
The illegal trade in rhino horn
In which we meet our first organized crime gang and the law is changed
Organized crime
Rebel militia and 'blood ivery'
The Internet
Religious ivory
Bribery and corruption
The enforcers
Seizures and arrests
Evidence
Prosecutions
Technology to the rescue
The London Conference and what followed
CoP16
Updates to some countries
Rhino trophy hunting in South Africa
Research
Education
The CBD re-visited
Sustainable use : contentious issues
People
Countries
Zoos, ecosystems and translocations
Last chance to save
Living together : resolutions to human-elephant conflict and other problems
Working together creates people power
Survival or extinction?
Further reading
Index.