Over the years, poachers have been excessively harvesting the tusks of the mighty animal. In order to obtain the precious material, the hunters would have to gun down and kill the targeted elephant. Elephants are facing a decline because of the demand in ivory and the inhumane method in harvesting it.
On February 24 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a dead male elephant was found in a wildlife sanctuary in northeastern Mondulkiri province. It was reported that the tusk and tail of the creature have been removed. The cause of the elephant's death is a shot under its eye. It was found ten days after it was killed.
Records show that there are only a few hundred elephants left in Cambodia and poaching is to be blamed. Animal rescue Non-Government Organization (NGO), Mondulkiri Project, tallied about 400 elephants living in the wild and 50 in captivity.
In the same sanctuary, a baby elephant was also found during the last year. It was said to have been caught in a trap that the poachers have successfully set.
The future of elephants seems to look bleak as poaching them for animal parts has effectively lowered their numbers and the deforestation and illegal logging has shrunken the area of their habitat. Unfortunately, the situation on corruption in the country coupled with the very lax enforcement of the law is not helping the case of the wildlife.
Still, there are some actions being done. More than a thousand elephant tusks were seized by authorities last December. The haul was found hidden in a container sent from Mozambique. This raid is the largest ivory bust in the country. Another haul was found in 2016 where the ivory was hidden in hollowed-out logs owned by a company in Mozambique as well.
Ivory is the prime goal why poachers kill off elephants. These tusks are used to make billiard balls, piano keys, souvenirs, accessories, and other items. The tail is cut off because of the hair on the tip. It is believed to bring luck to whoever that possesses it. It is then embedded in bracelets and rings.
There are more animals being hunted for their body parts across the globe. The elephant for its tusk and hair is only one of them. Other popular ones are the pangolin for its scales and the rhino for its horn. The patronization of these products increase the demand, and in turn, decrease the number of wildlife.
