The Linesman

Elephants used to roam Myanmar’s natural forests with impunity. But as their habitats have been encroached upon, wild elephant numbers have fallen from 10,000 to 2,000 over the past 70 years – according to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

So too, many villagers across the country are forced to compete with the country’s giant pachyderms. Sometimes the elephants trample on farmland and houses in search of food.

The Elephant Project, an international organisation devoted to the protection of elephants around the world, has produced a 30-minute documentary about the ongoing human-elephant conflict in Myanmar. Titled The Linesman, the story focuses on a man called U Khin Maung Gyi who seeks to explore the elephant-human dynamic in southern Myanmar – from illegal poaching in the mountain areas, to the destruction they wreak in the low-lying villages and farms.

When The Elephant Project was founded in 2016, one of its goals was to develop new ideas and solutions to protect elephants around the world.

"But to solve a problem you must first understand it from all sides, which is why we decided to make this film – to help people understand the root causes behind the conflict," Dane Waters, founder and president of The Elephant Project explained to The Myanmar Times.

When they first started working in Myanmar over three years ago, their initial focus was to help elephants transition out of the country’s timber industry to live in more sustainable sanctuaries."But early in our efforts we discovered the magnitude of the human-elephant conflict, and felt that it needed to be addressed," he said.

The organisation’s first response was to invest in electric fences, which were intended to restrict the elephants to particular areas whilst their natural habitats were being restored."They [elephants] primarily come because they need food. They come because their natural habitat has been destroyed due to excessive logging. They come out of necessity," he said.The film crew traveled around the country, with footage being taking from Bago’s Winga Baw Elephant Sanctuary, Kayin State’s teak and rubber plantations, as well as Kalaw Village in the Bago Region.

It took over two years to make the film, as heavy rains restricted access to the elephants during the rainy season. The film crew visited Myanmar on three separate occasions to make sure they had the best footage.

"The villagers try lots of different ways to scare away the elephants, including tractors and other heavy equipment to make loud noises," Dane Waters said. "These are massive animals, and so humans protect themselves by trying to scare them away, by getting as far away as possible from them, or by building fences to help keep them out. But in some cases, out of desperation, they even call in poachers to kill the elephants," he added.

The biggest challenge was trying to get footage of elephants in the wild, especially when they approach the villages. It’s difficult to predict when an elephant will approach your house, so the crew had to wait-out for opportunities to follow or sneak up to the herd. "Elephants are typically only dangerous when they feel threatened. They are not predators and aren’t really that interested in harming humans. They are usually just looking for food. But they are obviously large, so if a person gets too close or gets in the path of a scared or angry elephant, they can kill or hurt someone," he said

."Villagers do fear elephants. This is one of the struggles they face. They don’t want to fear or hate the elephants but when their families and crops are in danger, they naturally begin to feel frightened," he added.

Despite the recent COVID-19 restrictions around the world, The Elephant Project hopes to screen The Linesman in London, Berlin, Tokyo, Taipei, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC in the coming months. Yangon will also host a special screening event.

"We believe that The Linesman presents an amazing opportunity to raise awareness about the human-elephant conflict, and the ways that people have tried to resolve that conflict – greater education, building fences, habitat restoration, and elephant relocation," he said.

Anyone interested can find out more by visiting https://www.theelephantproject.net/the-linesman-film

Documentary ‘When Lambs Become Lions’ Sheds Light On Elephant Poaching

A great article about a movie that explores the multidimensional aspects of the war against ivory poachers. It highlights one of the key ingredients to ending the senseless and horrific killing of elephants - finding ways to take away the incentive of those who are doing the killing. We encourage all of you to watch it.

Out of the woods

For over a century, elephants were Southeast Asia’s workhorses, used to pull logs razed from their forest homes. But what happens to those elephants when the logging stops?

“Though the Myanmar government is trying hard to find a home for the thousands of unemployed timber elephants, we believe that these camps are not the answer,” Waters told Southeast Asia Globe. “The primary problem with these camps, as is the case in Thailand… is that the elephants are being used for entertainment purposes, which we do not support.”

To read full article click here

Sanctuary plan for Myanmar elephants in captivity

“If nothing is done to provide financial support for these elephants, the government-owned elephants will be put back to work logging elsewhere, be cruelly trained for performance and live a life of begging, or released into the wild to fend for themselves,” says Dane Waters, The Elephant Project founder and president.

To read the full article click here.

Myanmar And The Elephant Project Made History By Signing Agreement For Elephant's Care

The Myanmar government and The Elephant Project signed a new historical agreement that aimed to relocate elephants into a safer place, avoiding human conflicts. It was the first time the country made a settlement for the care of this animal after the government-owned elephants were turned into an attraction and forced to perform in parks, following the ban of raw timber export in 2014.

"We have to take action now," Dane Waters, The Elephant Project founder, and president, said, per the South China Morning Post. The worsening case of deforestation in Myanmar destroys Elephants' habitat, so they are left wandering in villages in search of food. However, their search often leads to human-elephant conflicts that put both parties in danger.  

Read full article here.

Historic elephant protection initiative launched in Myanmar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“We must take aggressive protective action because extensive deforestation in Myanmar due to logging has resulted in the reduction of elephants’ natural habitat," says Project Founder

Arlington, VA, March 11, 2019 – The Elephant Project, a leader in innovative wildlife protection strategies, announced today that it has entered into a formal agreement with the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to relocate elephants from high human-elephant conflict areas to safe zones around the country. Human-elephant conflict is one of the biggest contributors to elephant deaths around the world.
 
U Win Naing Thaw, Director of the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, Forest Department Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of The Republic of the Union of Myanmar stated upon the signing of the agreement, “We must find a long-term solution to protecting Myanmar’s critically threatened elephant population and we are optimistic that by working with The Elephant Project we will find that solution.” 
  
The Elephant Project Founder and President Dane Waters stated, “We must take aggressive protective action because extensive deforestation in Myanmar due to historic unsustainable levels of logging has resulted in the reduction of elephants’ natural habitat. This has produced a desperate search by elephants for food in villages and an increase in deadly human-elephant conflicts. Our unprecedented joint effort will add a layer of protection for Myanmar’s elephants that doesn’t currently exist.”
 
As part of the agreement, the Forest Department and The Elephant Project agree to the following to collaborate on elephant relocation efforts in Myanmar:

1. Identify elephants that need relocation

2. Identify mutually agreeable areas to relocate the elephants

3. Agree to best practices to ensure the health and safety of the elephants during relocation

4. Create a timeline and cost analysis for full implementation of project  

Adam Roberts, Senior Advisor to The Elephant Project stated, “We are excited about this opportunity to launch a vital collaboration with the Forest Department. Our paramount concern is for the welfare of the elephants and every precaution will be taken to ensure the safety, protection and humane care of the elephants during the relocation process.”
 
“This agreement is great news for Myanmar's elephants thanks to The Elephant Project’s commitment to elephant protection in our country. This will save countless elephants in Myanmar which are on the run for survival due to deforestation and poaching,” added U Win Aung, The Elephant Project’s Myanmar based Advisory Board member.
 
In the coming months, The Elephant Project will finalize the relocation plan with the Forest Department and begin this unprecedented effort in Myanmar.
 
In addition to the relocation efforts in Myanmar, The Elephant Project is also funding the building of electric fences in the country that will help keep elephants out of the crops of local villagers. This preventive measure reduces the chance that villagers, whose livelihoods are threatened by elephants searching for food, will either kill the elephants themselves or call in poachers to do it for them.
 
“Helping to end human-elephant conflicts in Myanmar is the first step in our long-term commitment to Myanmar’s elephants. We are extremely optimistic that The Elephant Project, working together with the Government of Myanmar, will help ensure the nation’s elephants will survive, and that our joint efforts will serve as a strong testament to what public-private partnerships can accomplish,” continued Waters.
 
As part of The Elephant Project’s long-term commitment to the country, we propose to establish an elephant sanctuary or a system of sanctuaries in Myanmar that would provide a fully funded model for domestic elephant protection and long-term care. To underwrite the costs of operating the sanctuary in perpetuity, The Elephant Project will develop significant residential and commercial real estate investment opportunities in the country. This development will be located adjacent to the sanctuary and permit non-intrusive viewing of elephants for “ecotourism” and “voluntourism”. This unprecedented effort will inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the Myanmar economy, creating a perpetual and powerful funding source for the sanctuary established to protect the country’s elephant population. It is a win for the government, donors, the Burmese people, and most importantly the elephants.”

###

Hillary Clinton and John Kasich: We cannot cede ground on animal poaching

This is an issue that we both have endeavored to shine light on, in and out of office. One of us (Clinton) worked with President Barack Obama to draw attention to African elephant poaching in the 2000s — when close to two-thirds of all remaining forest elephants were wiped out to meet the global demand for ivory — and embraced a strategy in 2013 through the Clinton Global Initiative to stop the killing and trafficking of elephants. The other (Kasich) supported legislation as a nine-term member of Congress to address the crisis and engaged President George W. Bush on the potential for losing the world’s elephants entirely without an international ban on the importation of ivory.

We supported bans on ivory sales in U.S. states with the largest markets — including New York, California and Hawaii — just as we supported action in Congress to close the domestic ivory market of our country, an action that encouraged other key countries such as China and Britain to do the same.

Read the full Op-Ed in The Washington Post.

THE ELEPHANT PROJECT SOUNDS ALARM OVER INTERIOR DEPARTMENT’S FOIA REORGANIZATION “JUST ANOTHER EXCUSE TO DRAG THEIR FEET TO PROTECT ZINKE AND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SONS” SAYS PROJECT'S FOUNDER

FERNANDINA BEACH, FL (December 12, 2018) – The Elephant Project founder, Dane Waters, today accused the Department of Interior of installing a new roadblock in its effort to undermine transparency and the timely release of public documents when Secretary Ryan Zinke installed Daniel Jorjani as the head of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program. The reorganization of Interior's FOIA program is just the latest attempt to halt the release of documents like those requested by The Elephant Project in May – seven months ago.
 
“First, Secretary (Ryan) Zinke fills the Interior Department’s International Wildlife Conservation Council (IWCC) with big game hunters and no bonafide conservationists, then he is investigated by the US Justice Department for multiple ethics violations, and now he is politicizing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program by inserting yet another crony to run it,” The Elephant Project Founder and President Dane Waters said. “Zinke is continuing his pattern of covering up both his own conflicts of interest and those of President Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.”
 
Federal law requires all federal agencies to respond to a FOIA request within 20 business days after the request is received, unless there are unusual circumstances. The Elephant Project filed a FOIA request on May 15, 2018 for all documents relating to the establishment of the IWCC, an official advisory group announced more than a year ago on November 8, 2017. The Council was created in conjunction with the reversal of the importation of elephant trophies policy outlined in a March 1, 2018, memorandum from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Secretary Zinke has shrouded the Department generally, and his actions specifically, since day one. His assault on transparency is anathema to American values and belies the long-standing tradition of ensuring the American public has access to information about government functions,” noted Adam M. Roberts, senior advisor to The Elephant Project. “The most simple and obvious question applies here: what is Zinke trying to hide?”
 
The duty of this newly created board is to develop “a plan for public engagement and education on the benefits of international hunting,” according to its formation documents. In other words, despite its name, the IWCC is designed to promote the killing of elephants under the guise of conservation using taxpayer dollars.
 
The group is required to fill its board with hunters with international hunting experience, and senior-level representatives from companies in international hunting tourism, and those in the firearms trade. Yet no such requirement exists for members to have wildlife conservation backgrounds. In addition, the IWCC counts among its members a co-owner of a hunting preserve with Donald Trump Jr.
 
“If there is any hope of preventing regional extinctions of significant species such as elephants across the globe, the United States must play a lead role in conservation and wildlife protection,” Waters added. “A key component to that leadership is public support for conservation, which begins with a vibrant understanding of what the government is doing. It’s time for the Department of the Interior to shine a bright light on its nefarious inner-workings.”

THE ELEPHANT PROJECT CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS AS ETHICAL QUESTIONS MOUNT AGAINST INTERIOR SECRETARY RYAN ZINKE

FERNANDINA BEACH, FL (November 1, 2018) – In the wake of an ethics charge against US Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke now referred to the Justice Department for possible criminal charges, The Elephant Project is calling for the immediate release of critical documents it requested 6 months ago but the Interior Department has yet to produce.

“With the recent escalation of at least one ethics charge against Secretary Zinke, as reported widely by the news media, we are concerned that he and his staff may be intentionally pushing the limits of the law in complying with our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request,” The Elephant Project Founder and President Dane Waters said. “This new development reinforces my concern that Secretary Zinke has a clear pattern of covering up personal conflicts of interest between his big-game hunting friends and his job in the Trump Administration.

“Interior Secretary Zinke has a long history of hunting big game with his high net worth buddies, including President Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump,” Waters said. “We are deeply concerned he could be using the Department and its International Wildlife Conservation Council (IWCC) to support his own well-known interest in killing wildlife for sport with his friends.”

William Kristol, board member of The Elephant Project and Editor of The Weekly Standard  said, “Transparency is a cornerstone of democracy. Every minute that Secretary Zinke goes unchecked and unquestioned in his systematic deconstruction of the Interior Department is another minute the Trump Administration chips away at that cornerstone. The Administration is clearly more interested in kowtowing to the big game trophy-hunting lobby than it is in addressing threatened wildlife species and US national interests.”

Joe Trippi, board member of The Elephant Project and a top Democratic strategist, said, “The Interior Department is dragging its feet in producing the documents that we have a legal right to review, because they continue to act with impunity. This most recent escalation of an ethics charge against Secretary Zinke to the Justice Department shows that someone is finally taking these charges seriously. We are confident that the documents we have requested will show the involvement by President Trump and members of his family, including his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, in the selection of members of the IWCC and the reversal of the Fish and Wildlife Service policy on the importation of elephant trophies.”

The Elephant Project filed a FOIA request in March for all documents relating to the establishment of the IWCC, an official advisory group announced almost a year ago on November 8, 2017. The Council was created in conjunction with the reversal of the importation of elephant trophies policy outlined in a March 1, 2018 memorandum from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The duty of this newly created board is to develop “a plan for public engagement and education on the benefits of international hunting.” In other words, despite its name, the IWCC is designed to promote the killing of elephants under the guise of conservation.

The group’s formation documents require the board to include hunters with international hunting experience, and senior-level representatives from companies in international hunting tourism and the firearms trade. Yet no such requirement exists for members to have wildlife conservation backgrounds. In addition, the IWCC counts among its members a co-owner of a hunting preserve with Donald Trump Jr.

Dane Waters interview with UK's Paul Ross on Talk Radio

An interview with The Elephant Project’s Founder and President Dane Waters on the UK Parliament’s consideration of a new law banning ivory and the plight facing elephants around the world. Listen to the full interview.

Ivory BAN will not be enough to STOP elephant extinction in our lifetime

Sunday Express - AN IVORY ban being pushed through Parliament this week by the Government will not be enough to stop elephants becoming extinct in our lifetime, the founder of a wildlife charity has warned. Dane Waters, who has worked for five Presidential campaigns including for the late Senator John McCain, has founded the Elephant Project which creates sanctuaries across the world for endangered animals.

By DAVID MADDOX, POLITICAL EDITOR

PUBLISHED: Sun, Oct 21, 2018

He claims that 100 elephants are being killed every day for their ivory and the number of deaths has for the first time outpaced the number of baby elephants being born.

While there were 5 million African elephants at the turn of the 20th century and 100,000 Asian elephants, their numbers are now believed to be just 450,000 African elephants and 30,000 Asian elephants.

Speaking to the Sunday Express, Mr Waters praised the UK Ivory Trade Bill, which comes to its report stage in the Lords this week, but he warned that the British ministers need to persuade the Trump administration in the US and the Chinese to change their policies.

Mr Waters, who as a close friend of the late Senator McCain’s has already had rows with President Trump, hit out at the administration’s decision to allow the import of ivory and other elephant trophies and encourage US citizens to go big game hunting in Africa.

He said: “The decision by President Trump to allow for the import of elephant trophies into the United States will increase the senseless killing by big game hunters of this threatened and vulnerable keystone species.

“It also signals to China that the US is abdicating its long-standing commitment to lead the world in elephant protection and conservation.

“This sends a message to China that they are free to not enforce their ban as well as takes pressure off the European Union to act to enact laws to end domestic ivory markets.”

He went on: “Additionally, the Department of Interior under President Trump established the International Wildlife Conservation Council (IWCC).

“The mandate of this Council, whose majority is comprised of trophy hunters or groups that advocate for the hunting of elephants, is to increase awareness of the ‘economic benefits that result from US citizens travelling abroad to hunt.’

“One of the members co-owns a hunting preserve with Trump’s son Don Jr – who is an avid big game hunter and killer of elephants.”

He said that the ivory ban is a “good thing” but “only if it is enforced”.

And he noted that while there is a ban in China it is still the leading black market for ivory goods in the world.

He said: “Enforcement is critical and countries like the US and UK must lead.

“The US has abdicated that role and leadership and so now the UK has the chance to be the world's leader both from a moral and practical standpoint.

“It is also a good way for the UK to thumb their nose to the EU since they are behind in tackling this issue.”

The ivory ban in Britain is meant to be the toughest in the world.

A limited number of items are due to be given exemptions from the ban.

These include items comprised less than 10 per cent ivory by volume and made before 1947, musical instruments made before 1975 and comprised of less than 20 per cent ivory, rare or important items, at least 100 years old, and portrait miniatures painted on thin ivory bases and for commercial activity between accredited museums.

When he launched the bill, environment secretary Michael Gove used it as an example of how Britain would lead the way with tougher animal welfare regulations and laws after Brexit.

He added that the new law would "reaffirm the UK's global leadership on this critical issue, demonstrating our belief that the abhorrent ivory trade should become a thing of the past".

He said: "Ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol."

Saving Myanmar's elephants from skin poaching

ABC RN Breakfast - The poaching of African elephants, where they are killed for their ivory tusks, is well-documented. But halfway around the world in Myanmar, elephants are ten times more endangered and are now facing a new serious threat. Driven by a huge demand in China, poachers are skinning Asian elephants to make ruby red jewellery. Now an NGO called 'The Elephant Project' is working to save Myanmar's elephants.

Listen to the interview with The Elephant Project’s Founder and President.

Elephant Project combines preservation, economics

News Leader - On a quaint street in downtown Fernandina Beach, newcomer and world traveler M. Dane Waters is quietly gearing down from a career as a political consultant to a full-time job devoted to preserving elephants and their habitats half a world away.

Waters recalls two events in his home state of Alabama that would greatly influence this direction in life. He was a child when the Ringling Brothers Circus came to town, and he has never forgotten looking his first elephant in the eye. “I saw them being unloaded from the circus train and I felt this inexplicable bond,” Waters related. “There’s not a single other animal I feel this way about.” As an adult, Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign came through, and Waters’ first assignment as a volunteer was driving a limo. It was the beginning of a long association with Republican politics that took him to Washington, D.C. and abroad.

Read the rest of the story.

MYANMAR TO DESTROY CONFISCATED WILDLIFE CONTRABAND IN IMPORTANT PUBLIC CEREMONY

THE ELEPHANT PROJECT APPLAUDS MYANMAR’S STRONG WILDLIFE LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS TO PROTECT THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES FROM SLAUGHTER AND COMMERCIALIZATION

FERNANDINA BEACH, FL (October 3, 2018) – The Elephant Project applauds the Republic of the Union of Myanmar’s crack down on the illegal slaughter and commercial trade of its wild animals – including more than 100 endangered elephants – and the confiscation of a near-record volume of ivory and other body parts headed for the black market.
 
The Elephant Project will show its support Thursday morning, October 4, 2018, when Myanmar’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation will destroy its cache of illegal animal parts at its “Destruction Ceremony of Confiscated Elephant Ivory and Wildlife Parts” in the capital city, Naypyidaw.
 
“We applaud Myanmar’s government for confiscating 283 ivory tusks from wild elephants and countless body parts in its hardline crackdown on poachers and other criminals,” The Elephant Project’s Founder and President Dane Waters said.
 
“As an organization dedicated to fighting the decimation of elephants in the wild, we work closely with governments and business leaders around the world who live and work with these amazing animals,” Waters said. “We work together on a three-pronged approach that includes relocating elephants in immediate danger, working with governments to strengthen anti-poaching laws, and creating economic opportunities to support elephant populations.”
 
U Win Aung, a former businessman and a member of The Elephant Project’s Advisory Board, who will represent The Elephant Project at the ceremony, said, “These crimes must stop immediately if we are to have any chance to save elephants from disappearing in our lifetime. I strongly believe that destruction ceremonies like this are very important public statements that show trafficking in animal parts is not a lucrative business.”
 
Adam Roberts, an international wildlife expert and The Elephant Project’s senior advisor, said, “Myanmar now joins a number of other countries that have, over recent years, destroyed confiscated wildlife parts and products in a clear global message that wildlife belongs safe in the wild, not slaughtered for sale. It sends a strong signal to wildlife poachers and profiteers that, when it comes to the illegal wildlife trade, Myanmar is closed for business.”

Elephant Advocates Seek Clarity on Trump Trophy Policy

WASHINGTON (CN) – An animal rights group filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Interior Department Tuesday in a bid to better understand why it changed a long-standing policy restricting the import of trophies from hunted endangered species.

The Florida-based Elephant Project said it is seeking all communication and information exchanged in relation to a March 1, 2018, memo which opened up the possibility of importing such trophies into the United States on a case-by-case basis.

“The Trump Administration is reversing hard fought gains made over the past several decades in the fight to protect elephants,” Elephant Project founder Dane Waters said. He called the U.S. a leader in wildlife conservation but said the country has abdicated that leadership role since President Donald Trump took office.

The Interior Department memo states the policy change was a response to a December 2017 ruling by the D.C. Circuit. In the underlying lawsuit, the National Rifle Association and Safari Club International claimed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arbitrarily blocked the import or elephant trophies in 2014 and 2015.

Under its long-standing rules, the agency only allowed such imports if the hunt in which they were taken “enhanced the survival of the species.” In the cases at the center of the lawsuit, the Fish and Wildlife Service concluded this was not the case.

While it mostly affirmed the agency’s actions in its ruling, the D.C. Circuit said the service erred in adopting its findings without first following the notice-and-comment rule-making requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.

The Interior Department memo rescinds those findings, finding they are “no longer effective for making individual permit determinations for imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies.”

Laury Parramore, a spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service told Courthouse News on Tuesday that while court upheld the restriction on elephant trophy imports, it also allowed the agency to revise its procedure for assessing applications for hunting certain species.

“The President has been very clear in the direction that his administration will go,” she said via email.

She also declined to comment further due to a pending lawsuit filed by four animal rights groups challenging the policy change.

Dane Waters told Courthouse News he believes the entire process was fueled by Trump’s children, specifically Don Jr., a known trophy hunter.

He hopes the information, including correspondences between agencies and members of Trump’s  International Wildlife Conservation Council — which Waters says is ironically stacked with pro-hunters — will show the administration put the priorities of its family members over that of endangered species.

“This is the beginning of finding out what truly is happening,” he said. “The ban was changed to put a special interest, the wealthy, ahead of the animals.”

Kristol, Trippi Group Pushes Back Against Trump on Big-Game Hunting Trophies

PJMEDIA -- A bipartisan coalition fighting to save elephants filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Department of Interior in a quest for transparency about the Trump administration's elephant trophy import ban policy reversal.

In a November statement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service argued that the imports from elephant hunts in Zimbabwe and Zambia, backed by the Safari Club International, was in the name of conservation.

“Like us, Zimbabwe, Zambia and other African countries are passionate about conserving their wildlife for future generations. This commitment is shared by the U.S. hunting community that has done so much for the conservation of wildlife here in America and around the world,” said Service Principal Deputy Director Greg Sheehan. “Funds generated by U.S. hunters are the backbone of conservation efforts in Africa, helping combat the scourge of poaching and wildlife trafficking that is threatening Africa’s wildlife. We will continue work to combat heinous wildlife crimes while empowering and incentivizing local communities to be a part of the solution.”

FWS then issued the new rule in the Federal Register: "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has made a finding that the killing of African elephant trophy animals in Zimbabwe, on or after January 21, 2016, and on or before December 31, 2018, will enhance the survival of the African elephant."

After initial outrage, Trump tweeted, "Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts. Under study for years. Will update soon with Secretary Zinke. Thank you!" Trump's sons are big-game hunters who have posed with animals they've slaughtered.

But on March 1, the Interior Department and the Fish and Wildlife Service issued a memorandum on “Withdrawal of Certain Finding for ESA-listed Specific Taken as Sport-hunted trophies." Trophy imports from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia will now be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as sought by the Safari Club International and the National Rifle Association.

The Elephant Project, which brings together Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol and Democratic strategist Joe Trippi on its advisory board, announced today that their FOIA request asks for "all documents relating to the establishment of the International Wildlife Conservation Council (IWCC), announced on November 8, 2017 by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and documents relating to the involvement by President Donald J. Trump and members of his family, including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, in the selection of members of the IWCC and the reversal of the Fish and Wildlife Service policy on importation of elephant trophies."

The IWCC's mission statement says the council would "develop a plan for public engagement and education on the benefits of international hunting" and "recommend removal of barriers to the importation into the United States of legally hunted wildlife."

The Elephant Project notes "strong evidence that the protection of wildlife and the creation of a humane economy of wildlife ecotourism is a far superior conservation strategy that not only benefits elephants and other wildlife, but also can promote stability and prosperity in regions where wildlife is threatened."

The project wants to see if experts who don't view big-game hunting as a conservation strategy were denied membership on the 18-person council.

“Efforts pursued by The Elephant Project to end illegal poaching and wildlife trafficking while fostering a humane economy of ecotourism and research will help bring jobs and prosperity to challenged regions and promote growth and stability," Kristol said today. "Unfortunately, the Trump administration appears more inclined to serve the interests of the big game trophy-hunting lobby and Trump family associates rather than threatened wildlife species and U.S. national security interests.”

Trippi called it "deeply disappointing to see the Trump administration sanction the senseless slaughter of animals."

"The vast majority of Americans — Republicans, Democrats and independents alike — oppose big-game trophy hunting of elephants and lions," Trippi added. "The administration should respect the will of the American people and protect these majestic animals."

The Elephant Project founder Dane Waters stressed that "the protection of elephants and other threatened wildlife is a test of moral leadership and character."

"With these proposed policy changes, the current administration is failing that test," Waters said.

Asian elephants face new threat in skin trade

BANGKOK -- Once targeted for their ivory tusks, Asia's already endangered elephants are facing a new threat to their survival: Poachers in Myanmar and elsewhere are selling their hides to be turned into purported cures for stomach ulcers and cancer as well as jewelry and prayer beads for sale in China. Elsewhere, the skins are being turned into luxury leather goods from golf bags and designer boots to wallets, belts and even motorcycle seats.

Trafficking in Asian elephant hides has grown over the past four years from small-scale sales of skins to a wholesale commercial trade. In Asia, this includes sales on open, online forums as well as by some Chinese pharmaceutical companies, according to the U.K.-based wildlife conservation group Elephant Family, which believes most of the Chinese products come from illegally traded Asian elephant hides. Legally licensed trade in hides from four African countries is strictly controlled and regulated.

Conservationists fear that elephant skin may even begin to replace ivory as a motive for poaching, and that any legal trade provides a loop-hole for illegal trade. For these reasons, they have urged countries to completely ban its importation.

A detailed report by the group, released Tuesday in Bangkok, traces the trafficking trail from hunters in Myanmar to operations there and in Laos where the skins are cut or ground into powder and then smuggled into China. In an earlier report, the Swiss-based World Wide Fund for Nature warned that elephant skinning may have spread to Thailand, India, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Elephant Family's field researchers early this year found elephant products on sale in China's Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian provinces. In Guangzhou, the vast seaport in Guangdong Province, the team met with traders who were clearly aware that dealing with Asian elephant skin was illegal. "These products were not visibly on display but when asked, traders produced them, one from a plastic bag on a top shelf," the report said.

Chinese medicine packaging touting the use of elephant skin powders (Courtesy of Elephant Family)

Monitoring online sites, the researchers found advertising for elephant hide products on forums like Baidu and identified at least 43 traders on the popular Chinese messaging platform WeChat. Messages extolled use of the products for stomach ailments and as a blood coagulant as well as for bracelets and necklaces made from the dried skin.

The overall value of the elephant hide trade is not known and prices vary, but the Elephant Family report said skin pieces were quoted online for $190 per kg, excluding delivery, and elephant skin powder for about $425 per kg. "The trade is clearly valuable enough for some people to be pushing it -- to do their best to create more demand to encourage sales," said Elephant Family's head of conservation, Belinda Stewart-Cox.

Dried elephant skins being carved into beads (Courtesy of Elephant Family)

Sold in one piece, the hide of one adult elephant, depending on size and skin quality, could raise as much as $30,000. When processed into individual products, this could multiply 10 times in market value to as much as $300,000, she said, while warning that inflated or "cherry-picked" estimates could prompt speculative poaching.

While parts from wild animals -- from pangolins to rhinoceroses and elephants -- have long been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine, the use of elephant hides for jewelry and other luxury products is a relatively recent development that is providing new incentive for illicit traders.

The Myanmar government has said that at least 59 elephant carcasses were found in the wilds last year, up from four in 2010, in a country that conservationists describe as one of the last remaining places in Asia with wildlands suitable for sustainable elephant populations.

Myanmar's wild elephant population has fallen dramatically, from an estimated 10,000 in the 1940s to less than 2,000 today. Between 30,000 to 50,000 wild Asian elephants are found in 13 Asian countries, according to the researchers.

"Asia's elephant populations are becoming increasingly fragmented and fragile. A trade that targets any elephant, of any age, could spell disaster for this endangered, slow breeding species," said Stewart-Cox.

Elephant Family, with Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla serving as joint presidents, implements conservation projects in seven Asian countries.

"With this report our intention is not to apportion blame but to turn the spotlight onto the escalation of the trade and to call for the collaboration of governments, civil society and the wider public to tackle the issue before it threatens the survival of Asia's elephants," said Stewart-Cox.

Although still the world's largest consumer of wildlife products, China has in recent years stepped up arrests of wildlife traffickers and taken other measures to curb the elephant trade. It is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and from Jan. 1 this year banned all trade in ivory and ivory products. As a leading market for ivory, Beijing's decision was hailed by some as an important move to protect the world's elephant population.

But the report expressed concern that China's State Forestry Administration had apparently issued licenses for manufacture and sale of pharmaceutical products containing elephant skin which are being sold by several companies.

"Time will tell whether the anticipated ivory trade prompts an increased appetite for replacements from other species or other elephant parts," the report said.

In Myanmar several significant initiatives have been spurred by warnings that the country will lose its wild population in a few years if the current rate of killing -- one elephant a week -- continues.

With help from international organizations, the government in February launched a 10-year Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan to secure the elephant population.

As part of the program, WWF will train, equip and deploy 10 anti-poaching teams to the most vulnerable areas. Separately, a Washington D.C.-based group, The Elephant Project, in March announced plans to establish a network of sanctuaries under a public-private partnership program worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Myanmar, providing for the relocation and care of Asian elephants in the country and translocation of some to regional countries.

Al Jazeera interview with Dane Waters on Trump's elephant trophy ban reversal

Interview with Dane Waters on President Trump’s decision to reverse the ban on the import of elephant trophies into the United States.

Al Jazeera Interview with Dane Waters on elephant trophy imports

Interview discussing Trump’s decision to allow for the import of elephant trophies into the United States. Watch the interview.

Trump delays elephant trophy hunting, animal expert talks impact on wildlife conservation

WGN RADIO - Adam Roberts, Senior Advisor at The Elephant Project, works on the animal protection and wildlife conservation around the word. He joins Matt Bubala to talk about Trump’s swaying decision on lifting a trophy ban on bringing elephant parts back to the U.S. Roberts was surprised when Trump overruled his decision.  Roberts says elephants across Africa are being poached, and Zimbabwe was specifically recognized as one of two countries were trophies were allowed to come from.

Critics say hunting helps conservation efforts, but Roberts disagrees. “We hope that because trophy hunters pay for these thrill kills in Africa, that somehow the money is going to make it to conservation. The fact of the matter is, most of these hunting corporations or outfitters that do the safaris, are not even making it into the country where the animals exist. About two percent is actually making it to the local communities,” Roberts says.

If the government really cared about the well-being of elephants, Roberts says hunting is not the best option. “There’s much more money made by eco-tourism, not hunting tourism. Studies have shown more than ninety-eight percent of all tourism revenue across the entire African continent comes from wildlife tourism that’s not hunting based,” he says.  “If we really care about investing in these local economies, we want to do it in a sustainable way, and that’s eco-tourism.”

Generally, elephants can live up to sixty or seventy years in the wild. It’s important to keep these animals in their natural habitat, because that’s what draws in the local tourism, even if poaching has escalated.  Tune in for the full conversation.