Tracking the movement of ivory through the nebulous , international black market is extraordinarily hard . But we need to start doing a better line of it if we want to stamp out the illegal craft that claims100 elephant dwell every day . One diarist ’s answer ? Build the world ’s most convincing phoney tusk , and stick a trailing machine inwardly .
The September National Geographic cover story details Bryan Christy ’s two - twelvemonth exploration of the illegal off-white deal in Africa . To pass over elephant poachers and regain out where their plunder changes mitt , Christy hired a world - renowned stuffer and a receiving set trailing specialiser . They arrange about build the ultimate lure : an artificial tusk that looked , sounded , sense and smelled like the real matter , complete with a assault and battery - power GPS tracker that fits snugly into a cavum .
Several months after the decoy was planted into the smuggling provision chain , it had made its way C of mile northward , from Mboki in the Central African Republic to Ed Daein in Sudan . The investigating , which you cancheck out in full over at National Geographic , unearth many enthralling nuggets about the ivory trade , include a verbatim link between poachers and terrorist action .
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/tracking-ivory/
In May 2013 poacher with the freedom fighter chemical group Seleka slaughter 26 elephants at Dzanga Bai , a mineral - ample lachrymation fix in CAR . Image credit : J. Michael Fay , Wildlife Conservation Society
Poaching has been curbed in Chad ’s Zakouma National Park , but reconstruct the park ’s herd , now at 450 , will take years . figure of speech Credit : Brent Stirton / National Geographic
Today , an tremendous amount of illegal ivory is traded online , and not just in the vague recesses of the dark vane , but onpopular consumer sites like Craigslist . In many ways , technology has helped enable sea poacher and illegal traffickers . Perhaps the most uplifting face of Christy ’s stunt is that it underscores how technology can also help the adept guys push back .
[ National Geographic ]
reach out to the author at[email protected]or follow heron Twitter .
Top image via Wikimedia . Middle and bottom images via “ ’ Tracking Ivory ’ , theSeptember cover storyof National Geographic magazine , on newsstands August 25 . you may tune in to “ Explorer : Warlords of Ivory ” on Sun , Aug 30 at 8/7c on National Geographic Channel . ”
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