ADDIS ABABA: The Kenya government wants to increase sentences and penalties for those caught murdering animals in the country's national parks. It comes on the heels of reports of an increase in poaching and ivory smuggling that has seen a marked rise in the number of elephants killed in the East African country. Entire herds of elephants have been slaughtered by poachers, who are selling the ivory to East Asia, where it is seen as a cure for ailments, including cancer. Rhinos are also being slaughtered illegally. Last year, poachers slaughtered 384 elephants in Kenya, up from 289 in 2011, according to official figures, from a total population of around 35,000. This year, poachers have already shot dead 74. “We intend to fight poachers at all levels to save our elephants,” government spokesman Muthui Kariuki said in a statement on Saturday. A major obstacle to this is that Kenyan courts are limited in their powers to jail or fine those convicted of wildlife crimes, he said. “One of the major setbacks are lenient penalties and sentencing for wildlife crime by the courts,” he said. “The government is concerned about this and has facilitated the process of reviewing the wildlife law and policy with a view to having more deterrent penalties and jail terms.” Passing tougher wildlife laws will be made a priority for Kenya's parliament, elected last month but which has yet to begin business. The future of African elephants remains uncertain as illegal ivory trade continues to grow, according to a United Nations report released last month, which calls for enhanced law enforcement to protect the majestic creatures and their environment. The report, “Elephants in the Dust – The African Elephant Crisis", found that elephant poaching doubled and illegal ivory trade tripled in the last decade, endangering already fragile populations in Central Africa, as well as previously secure populations in West, Southern and Eastern Africa. “The surge in the killing of elephants in Africa and the illegal taking of other listed species globally threatens not only wildlife populations but the livelihoods of millions who depend on tourism for a living and the lives of those wardens and wildlife staff who are attempting to stem the illegal tide," said the Executive Director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), Achim Steiner. BN
