Vietnam plans to auction six tons of elephant tusks smuggled to the country from Tanzania. The ivory was seized by Vietnamese custom officials. Initially the Tanzania government did nothing about the issue but no plans to take action. It is believed that the tusks were enroute to China.

ThisDay

“An elephant returned home to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, after taking three years to recover from drug abuse inflicted on it by a gang of smugglers.” – China Daily

“The first officially sanctioned sale of ivory in southern Africa for almost a decade opened on Tuesday.” – BBC NEWS

“There are fewer than 300 wild elephants left in China, so when Jeremy McGill, an American tourist, stumbled across a group of adults earlier this year in a nature reserve in Yunnan province, near the border with Laos, he whipped out his camera and started taking pictures. It almost cost him his life.” – The Independent

“Rebels and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed more than a 10th of the elephants in one of Africa’s oldest national parks as demand for ivory in China grows, said Emmanuel de Merode, director of the Virunga National Park. ” – Bloomberg.com

“Poachers in Congo have killed a fifth of the elephants in Africa’s oldest national park this year as China buys more ivory, the park’s director said on Friday.” – Reuters.com

“Elephant poaching in India may increase as China plans to open its domestic market for limited sale of ivory products after a UN committee gave its consent, experts have said. ” – The Times of India

“The decision by a global arbiter on endangered species to allow China to import backlog stock of ivory from Africa may be the death knell for Kenyan elephants.” – The Standard

“Coming out of the 14th Conference of the Parties (CoP14) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) last year in The Hague, two things were certain: firstly, that Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe would be allowed to sell registered stocks of ivory in the near future and, secondly, that a nine-year moratorium on any further ivory sales would come into effect following the sales.” – Daily Dispatch Online

“Conservationists and animal rights activists, have raised concern over the decision to approve China, as a buyer for a one-off sale of elephant ivory is likely to increase poaching and illegal ivory trade in Africa.” – allAfrica.com

“Animal support groups fear for elephants in India and Africa following the British government’s official backing to China to buy ivory. The government voted in China’s favour at the UN, despite protests from its own MPs. The vote, at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), gives China the right to buy ivory auctioned by four southern African countries, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.” – Thaindian News

“Conservationists have condemned a move to allow China to buy huge amounts of ivory.” – Sky News

“News broke last night that China will be allowed to buy legal African stocks of ivory in a one-off sale. The announcement was criticised by conservation groups – including the International Fund for Animal Welfare – who fear that China’s poor record in controlling the ivory trade could open the doors to illegal elephant poaching.” – New Scientist

“Conservationists yesterday attacked a decision by the international community to allow China to buy stockpiles of elephant ivory saying it would lead to more elephants being killed in Africa.” – The Guardian

“The world trade in ivory, banned 19 years ago to save the African elephant from extinction, is about to take off again, with the emergence of China as a major ivory buyer.” – The Independent

“Meeting under the auspices of the African Elephant Coalition, the group called upon the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) not to allow China to be a partner in limited ivory trade allowed by the UN body two years ago in The Hague.” – The East African

“An elephant is hoisted into the Chongqing zoo in Chongqing municipality June 25, 2008.” – Yahoo! News Photos

“56-year-old Michael Francis Elliott of Gravesend has been found guilty and given a two year suspended sentence on charges of illegally trading in elephant ivory, hippopotamus ivory and sperm whale teeth. This follows a lengthy investigation by the Met’s Wildlife Crime Unit that led police to enquiries in China, Latvia and the United States.” – Wildlife Extra