In two weeks less than 17 elephants were killed in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This was announced by the association environmentalist WildlifeDirect (last update to May 3). There had never come about. “The number of these deaths has caught us by surprise - told the BBC Emmanuel de Merode of WildlifeDirect - all the animals were killed by rifle shots and ivory tusks were taken away.” Going forward from this step, the risk is that by the end of the year to Virunga there is no longer even the shadow of an elephant.

All the fault of trade in ivory whose price seems to have reached 150 U.S. dollars per kilo. The illegal trade in this material is very widespread especially strong demand from the Chinese market. It seems to be the fashion in ivory chopsticks!

Keep reading: Elephants in distress in Africa