The hunting of wild animals is becoming a massive issue for many species. Elephant poaching is a particularly relevant problem: as the revenue from sold ivory increases, the elephant population decreases.
When an already endangered animal is hunted and killed for sport, its chances of continued reproduction become slim. The problem even persists in designated wildlife areas in which the animals are supposed to be safe.
The Niassa reserve in Mozambique has officially gone one full year without elephant poaching on reserve property.
A year ago, Niassa was home to only 2,000 elephants — a steadily declining number due to excessive poaching of the creatures.
The Mozambique government has put specific policies in place surrounding poaching in an attempt to save the elephant population in the country from endangerment.
According to New York's Wildlife Conservation Society, which helps manage the reserve alongside the Mozambique government, these new initiatives include a new police force and more assertive air patrolling.
Wildlife Conservation Society country director James Bampton regarded these new policies as "a remarkable achievement."
"Just being caught with a firearm is considered intent to illegal hunting."
It is too early to say what the long term effects of these new policing efforts will be, but with the elephant population doubling in size in just one year, things are certainly moving in a positive direction.
The current rate of annual elephant losses still exceeds the birth rate.
From the year 1900 to 2019, the population has gone from several million to less than half a million according to several surveys.
Hopefully the news of such uplifting statistics encourages other reserves in surrounding countries to implement similar policing efforts in order to protect animal populations.
h/t: CBS News
