Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


        Chinese Actress Urges Greater Effort to End Illegal Ivory Trade

   by Reuben Kyama

   Film actress Li Bingbing, one of China's most popular celebrities and a
   rising Hollywood star, is urging governments and consumers to do more
   to combat illegal wildlife trade in Africa.
   Speaking on a trip to Kenya this week, Li, who is also a Goodwill
   Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program,  said citizens
   and the business community in Asia can play a crucial role in
   preventing the illegal killing of elephants in Africa by saying no to
   ivory products.
   "I'm telling people (and businesses) in China that we can do without
   these ivory products, " she said.  "They need to know every time
   there's an ivory made product an elephant is killed. The current
   poaching crisis raises major concerns about the survival of elephants
   and rhinos here in Kenya."
   The number of elephants illegally killed in Africa has doubled over the
   last decade - reaching 25,000 killed in 2012, while the ivory trade has
   tripled in size,  according to a recent UNEP study called Elephants in
   the Dust.
   Rise in Illegal Killing of Elephants
   Experts say the major recent spike in elephant killings is threatening
   the future of some elephant populations and the livelihoods of millions
   of people linked to tourism.
   Patrick Omondi, a Kenya Wildlife Service official, said the demand for
   illegal ivory remains highest in the rapidly growing economies of Asia,
   particularly China and Thailand.
   "The demand is very high especially among the Asian countries, mainly
   Thailand and China," he said. "Humankind can do without ivory... ivory
   is not medicine. It's being used for necklases, for rubber stamps; it's
   for status something human kind can do without. Our messege is that
   ivory is for the elephant."
   Besides illegal killings, elephants are also threatened by the
   increasing loss of habitat in around 29 per cent of their range areas -
   primarily as a result of human population growth and agricultural
   expansion. According to the UNEP study, this figure could rise to 63
   per cent by 2050, posing a major additional threat to the long-term
   survival of the species.
   UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner says rising wildlife crime in
   Kenya and other parts of Africa is an issue of global concern,
   impacting many regions of the world.
   "The reason why we're here with someone like Li is because she can
   speak to millions of people around the world in ways that most of us
   can't," he said. "Li Bingbing's work to highlight the multiple costs of
   illegal trade can reach millions of consumers, and encourage
   sustainable choices that can support the survival of Africa's
   elephants."
   Li's high-profile visit to Kenya is a joint effort by the Kenya-based
   NGO Save the Elephants and UNEP. Her campaign is expected to reach
   millions of people in China and beyond, and will highlight the cost and
   impact of the demand for ivory on elephants in Africa.
   The World Wildlife Fund estimates the global illicit trade in wildlife
   to be worth at least US$19 billion per year, making it the fourth
   largest illegal trade in the world after narcotics, counterfeiting and
   human trafficking.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-acttress-urges-greater-effort
   -to-end-illegal-ivory-trade/1658662.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-acttress-urges-greater-effort-to-end-illegal-ivory-trade/1658662.html