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<< Notifications of 1999


Notification to the Parties

No. 1999/12 Geneva, 29 January 1999

CONCERNING:

Monitoring of illegal killing of elephants

1. In the course of monitoring illegal killing of elephants, the Secretariat has received confirmed and unconfirmed reports of frequent poaching in Chad. It notes, with deep regret, that Chadian game wardens have been killed during anti-poaching work.

2. Confirmed reports indicate the use of automatic rifles and machine guns, although poachers have also used spears. The transportation used by poachers has included military four-wheel-drive vehicles, horses and camels. Tusks have been removed from elephants killed in each confirmed case, and the removal of meat and other body parts is also common. Suspected culprits include soldiers, local farmers and nomads.

3. The Secretariat encourages all Parties, particularly those neighbouring Chad, to alert their law enforcement officials to this criminal activity in Chad and to be vigilant for ivory and other elephant products smuggled from that area. Incident Report Forms on Illegal Killing of Elephants submitted by the Management Authority of Chad include information that ballistic and other forensic evidence has been obtained at scenes of illegal killing. This may be of importance to neighbouring countries if persons in possession of weapons are found crossing borders.

4. The Secretariat reminds elephant range States of the request in Notification to the Parties No. 1998/30 relating to the National Reporting Form on Illegal Killing of Elephants. By 31 December 1998, only three States had responded to that request for information.