While we respect Tanzania’s right to choose how it manages its natural resources, we believe strongly that there is no justification for hunting such rare and valuable animals. We urge the Tanzanian government and hunting industry to consider the negative impacts of such senseless killing. All elephants have value, but especially the large tuskers, because of their rarity, their social and reproductive roles, and their huge popularity with tourists whose safaris bring significant income to local economies. We urge the authorities to formalise the historic moratorium on hunting elephants in areas near the Kenya-Tanzania border, and we stand ready to share any information we have that may help to guide responsible decision-making to protect and conserve these animals.

These two incidents are especially painful for Big Life, given that we have rangers working tirelessly in the area to protect elephants from poachers, and we hope a resolution can be found quickly to prevent this from happening in the future.

Photo: Jeremy Goss

Read Africa Geographic's full article "Trophy Hunted: 2 Super Tuskers in Tanzania."