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                        DNA Test Finds Poaching Hotspots

   by Joe DeCapua

   There's a new weapon in the fight to stop elephant poaching --
   genetics. DNA testing, which is frequently used to solve crimes, has
   pinpointed where most of Africa's elephants are being slaughtered.

   The African elephant is the world's largest land animal and is vital to
   the environment in which it lives. But the elephant population is
   shrinking fast, as demand for illegal ivory remains high, especially in
   Asia.

   University of Washington Biology Professor Sam Wasser and his
   colleagues conducted the ivory DNA research. They tested samples seized
   by authorities between 1996 and 2014.

   "We are currently losing an estimated 50,000 African elephants a year
   to poaching. And there's only about 470,000 elephants remaining in the
   population. So, that's about a tenth of the population being lost each
   year," he said.

   He said the best way to stop elephant poaching is to stop the demand
   for ivory. But that's a long, slow process. So Wasser said efforts must
   also focus on preventing attacks on the animals.

   "Their loss is already causing major ecological and economic damage in
   Africa, threatening national security. And again, if we do not curb the
   killing, we are really going to cause serious problems throughout
   Africa."

   Researchers used DNA to determine the origin of large ivory seizures.
   They used ivory from 28 seizures. Each weighed a minimum of half a
   metric ton and worth at least one million dollars.

   Wasser said, "The size and value of these seizures suggests that these
   are really involving large trans-national organized crime syndicates.
   They're individuals that can afford to lose a million dollars in a
   single seizure. And what is also important about these large seizures
   is they represent 70 percent of all ivory that is seized. So, we're
   really talking about the majority of ivory being moved around the
   world."

   Professor Wasser said that over the past decade, nearly all the seized
   ivory came from just two places in Africa, mostly poached by organized
   crime. Ivory DNA was compared with DNA found in 1500 elephant dung
   samples.

   "Virtually, all of these seizures came from just two hotspots. One is
   for forest elephants, which is in the Triduum area of Central Africa.
   And that's northeast Gabon, northwest Republic of Congo and the
   adjacent Dzanga Sangha in Central African Republic. But the biggest
   hotspot was in southern Tanzania. Probably two-thirds of the ivory came
   from there, starting in the Selous Game Reserve - a major protected
   area in the south - and the adjacent Niassa Game Reserve in northern
   Mozambique."

   He said as the number of elephants dwindled in those areas, poaching
   moved towards Ruaha National Park and Rungwa Game Reserve in Tanzania.

   He said that the DNA information can help authorities target poachers
   and "choke the flow of ivory into the complex criminal networks."

   The study said the DNA technique could be adapted to other animals, as
   well, and its accuracy improved. In fact, it could eventually allow
   authorities to mount coordinated, international responses.

   Researchers said the illegal wildlife trade is the world's fourth
   largest organized crime.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/elephant-dna-18jun15/2827873.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/elephant-dna-18jun15/2827873.html