Amboseli National Park, Kenya – People who work to protect animals in Kenya, called conservationists, are worried about a new danger to Kenya’s elephants. These elephants are very important to Kenya’s tourism industry, which brings in a lot of money to the country.
The danger comes from hunters who are legally allowed to kill elephants for sport across the border in Tanzania, which is Kenya’s neighbor. Kenya and Tanzania have different ways of managing their elephant populations. Kenya protects its elephants completely and makes money by showing them to tourists on safaris. Tanzania allows some wealthy hunters to buy permits to kill elephants for trophies, like their tusks.
This way of managing elephants is similar to what other countries in southern Africa do. However, Kenya wants Tanzania to stop allowing hunters to kill elephants near the border so that Kenyan elephants won’t be shot.
Kenyan officials say that three elephants were shot by hunters in Tanzania in just a few months, and all three were close to the border with Kenya. One of these elephants had especially large tusks, and these types of elephants are very important for future generations of elephants.
People who visit Kenya from all over the world come to see the elephants, especially the ones with big tusks. Tourism is a very important source of income for Kenya, and many people depend on it for their jobs.
The conservationists are asking Tanzania to bring back the rule that stopped hunters from killing elephants near the border. They want this rule to be clearer and specifically protect elephants within 40 kilometers of the border with Kenya.
While Tanzania makes money by selling elephant hunting permits, the conservationists aren’t asking them to stop all hunting. They just want them to protect the special elephants that live in both Kenya and Tanzania.
