The Kenyan authorities have ordered to burn more than five tons of contraband ivory seized from poachers. The authorities hope that by doing so they will be able to draw attention to the problem of illegal mining of ivory in the region.
President Kibaki personally burned Mvay mountain confiscated from poachers prey almost six feet tall at the center for the protection of wildlife in the environment. The founder of the society "Save the gloss" Iain Douglas-Hamilton, said that poaching in recent years is rapidly gaining momentum, because increased demand for ivory, particularly in China.
In addition to poaching, the population of elephants is also threatened by population growth, and as a consequence, the reduction of habitat. In the 1970s population of elephants in Africa has over 1.3 million elephants, today left perhaps 500 000.
For the first time illegally harvested ivory in Kenya were burned in 1989.
Armed security guard services of environmental protection of Kenya is watching the burning of confiscated from poachers in ivory Magnani, Kenya, on Wednesday, July 20, 2011.
President Kibaki of Kenya Mvay (right) sets fire to a pile of ivory confiscated from smugglers, July 20, 2011 in Tsavo National Park, about 350 kilometers southeast of Nairobi. There will be destroyed about 335 tusks and 42,553 pieces of individual fragments.
Confiscated from smugglers in ivory Magnani, Kenya, on Wednesday, July 20, 2011.
Burning ivory.
President of Kenya Mvay Kubaka, pictured fourth from right, with the Director of Environmental Services Kipgetichem Julius, the second photo on the right, and Minister Najib Balala of Tourism (right) watch how the burn confiscated from smugglers ivory.
Burnt ivory.
The founder of the society "Save the gloss" Iain Douglas-Hamilton, on the background of the burning of ivory confiscated from smugglers, July 20, 2011, Kenya.
