WildlifeDirect CEO Dr.Paula Kahumbu was among the members of the Kenya Civil Society who met the U.S President Barrack Obama on on Sunday. The meeting, which was held at the Kenyatta University, brought together members of the civil society from across the country to address critical issues affecting the country. Dr.Paula was here to address the issue of Wildlife crime and ivory trade and the efforts being made by WildlifeDirect to combat the trade.
Dr.Paula reiterated the need to protect the African elephants which are on the verge of extinction. More than 30,000 elephants are killed every year across Africa and Dr.Paula explained to President Obama about the need to protect these iconic animals; she also talked about the Hands Off Our Elephants Campaign started by WildlifeDirect. Through bold, creative measures and in partnership with governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations, the campaign has dedicated itself to changing minds, modifying behavior, strengthening laws, and engaging the public to help in the protection of the African elephant.
‘’I started the Hands Off Our Elephants under my organization WildlifeDirect together with the Kenyan First Lady Margaret Kenyatta to empower and mobilize Kenyans and Africans to conserve African Elephants’’ Dr. Paula explained.
‘’Our work has really changed the hearts and minds of Kenyans and also the laws. We have been at the centre of judicial reforms in this country’’
She went further to ask President Obama to urge American people to stop buying ivory and ivory products as this is the best way they can help to fight the trade. Paula also requested the American government to take the lead in pursuing wildlife traffickers by strengthening their mutual legal role not just in the demand countries but also source and transit countries.
WildlifeDirect was instrumental in the arrest of one of Kenya’s ivory king pin Feisaal Mohammed and Dr.Paula took the chance to thank the United States Embassy and many other organizations like Interpol who made the arrest possible.
The meeting came just a day after President Obama announced that that the U.S will be taking ‘’urgently needed steps’’ to tighten restrictions on the sale of ivory and ivory products from to protect the remaining Africa’s elephants, which are targeted by poachers for sale on the black market. The restrictions, Obama said would eliminate the market for illegal ivory in the United States. The proposed rule follows U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell’s trip to China and Vietnam earlier this month to meet with senior government officials in both countries to build international cooperation to combat wildlife trafficking.
“Our countries are also close partners in the fight against poachers and traffickers that threaten Kenya’s world-famous wildlife. The United States has a ban already on the commercial import of elephant ivory’’ President Obama said during a press conference in Nairobi.
‘’I can announce that we’re proposing a new rule that bans the sale of virtually all ivory across our state lines, which will eliminate the market for illegal ivory in the United States.”
Dr. Kahumbu praised the move saying the United States being the second largest consumer of ivory should also be in the forefront in combating the trade. If implemented, the rule would result in a near total ban on the ivory trade in the U.S something which Dr.Kahumbu says will be a very huge milestone in the fight against the illegal ivory trade.
