From 2008 to 2009, illegal ivory seizures doubled, poaching death rate of elephants grew to nearly 10% and the price of ivory has ballooned to record levels. It is time to act.
In the fall of 2010, our team will join forces with Sam Wasser and the Conservation Biology lab at the University of Washington to identify ivory poaching hotspots. It is crucial to figure out which populations are being targeted by poachers before these endangered herds are pushed to extinction.
To identify where elephants are being killed, Dr Wasser has developed a method of genetically tracing ivory back to specific regions in Africa. He is creating a genetic map of elephant populations by collecting scat (poop) from across the continent. He can then compare the DNA of seized ivory to the DNA from the scat to identify where elephants are being killed. Knowing this makes targeting poaching hotspots much more effective. Unfortunately, his genetic map remains incomplete.
The focus area of our expedition is the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an area that Wasser has identified as critically important to have samples from. Due to the difficult nature of trekking through this region, it remains both a blank spot on his map, and an area of heavy poaching.
To make this expedition possible, I need your help! Please comment on this video and share it with your friends. Thanks for your help and support!
