N.C. Zoo Society to Fund Emergency Elephant Protection

Cameroon’s World Wildlife Fund (WWF) staff recently confirmed 10 poached elephants in and around Waza National Park, one of Cameroon’s most important elephant reserves.
African elephants have been on the endangered species list since 1988. The unprecedented loss of 10 elephants at one time sparked immediate response from N.C. Zoo Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Mike Loomis, who has maintained a close nine-year partnership with Cameroon’s World Wildlife Fund Central Africa Regional Programme Office. The partnership has focused on tracking elephant herds to monitor and prevent conflicts between them and growing human populations.
Initial investigation indicates that most of the recent spate of poaching is being carried out by well-armed ivory hunters, probably foreigners, who slip back and forth across international borders to avoid detection. Local tribesmen are probably contributing to the poaching, too. Suffering from the results of a prolonged drought, these people have poured into Waza National Park in search of water and grass for their cattle.
Dr. Loomis requested Zoo Society funding to increase the number of armed rangers patrolling Waza. The hope is that increased ranger patrols will buy time for Cameroon wildlife officials to persuade the Cameroon government and judiciary to put other long-term solutions into place.
The Zoo Society quickly approved the funding, all of which comes from anonymous donors. Other funds are being sought through WWF.
Anyone interested in learning more about the elephant-poaching crisis in Africa, or who might like to contribute to efforts to stem the tide of poaching, can contact the N.C. Zoo Society at (336) 879-7250, toll free (888) 244-3736. Click here to make your donation now.