RESTRICTED
FM NAIROBI
TO DESKBY 22160OZ FCO
TELNO 83
OF 221108Z FEBRUARY 90
RESTRICTED
INFO PRIORITY DAR ES SALAAM
INDL
tike
ısılı
-8 MAR 1990
(14)
Entert PA
171412
MDHIAN 8100
POACHING OF AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
1.
I AM NOT SURPRISED BY LEAKET'S STATEMENT ABOUT WHICH I WARNED YOU IN MY TELNO 60. BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR FAX.
2. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE ACCURATE FIGURES OF ELEPHANTS KILLAD WITHOUT APPROACHING THE KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE. HOWEVER WE KNOW THAT IN THE WORST AREA, TSAVO, 50 ELEPHANTS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY POACHERS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. THERE HAS BEEN NEGLIGIBLE POACHING IN THE WESTERN GAME PARKS. BUT SOME ELEPHANTS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN RECENT MONTHS IN MERU PARK AND IN NORTHERN KENYA OUTSIDE THE PARKS. I HAVE
HEARD THAT LEAKEY REFERRED TO 100 ELEPHANTS. IN THAT CASE HE IS PROBABLY EXTRAPOLATING FROM THE KNOWN FIGURE OF 50 IN TSAVO.
3. IT IS SIMPLISTIC TO SAY THAT THE RECRUDESCENCE OF POACHING IN
KENYA IS DUE TO THE SIX MONTH EXEMPTION FOR HONG KONG. THIS IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF FACTORS. OTHERS ARE AN INCREASE IN SOMALI POACHING
LARGELY DUE TO THE THICK BUSH COVER AVAILABLE AFTER THE RAINS: AN UNDERSTANDABLE EXHAUSTION ON THE PART OF RANGERS WHO HAVE BEEN HARD AT IT FOR SIX MONTHS: AND AN INADEQUATE NETWORK FOR THE COLLATION OF INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCE.
JOHNSON
YYYY
MAIN
38
LIMITED
MAED
HKD
EAD
NEWS
ADDITIONAL
MR FOLLAND,
2
( DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT) (BRISTOL)
NNNN
DISTRIBUTION
40
PAGE
PS/MR WALDEGRAVE PS/MR MAUDE
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/PUS
MR SLATER
EAD LODA
1
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