SHANGHAI ¨C There¡¯s no consensus on just how many of Africa¡¯s elephants are left. The World Wildlife Fund, for example, estimates that the population could be as few as 470,000 and as many as 690,000. Whatever the exact figure, it¡¯s clear that China¡¯s demand for ivory has created significant financial incentives for poachers to hunt the herds that remain scattered across the continent.
On Monday, a group of researchers published what they billed ¡°the most comprehensive assessment of illegal ivory harvest to date.¡±
Their conclusion, based on two methods of assessing illegal killing, is that poaching has not only reduced elephant populations, but it has also become unsustainable.
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