And the population is growing by about 5 percent a year. High voltage electric fences are now used to protect some villages, and drivers and tourists are warned to be aware of the danger. Botswana and its neighbors will then use the proceeds to manage their elephant populations and aid villagers who have been affected by the elephants. Right now, only the backlog of ivory will be sold, with no additional killing of elephants. But eventually, controlled culling of elephants could be allowed as part of efforts to limit populations in countries where the animals aren't endangered.
Critics say the limited sale is fraught with peril.
But Botswana and the other countries say safeguards will be in place to make sure sales of the backlogged ivory can be tracked. Any ivory from periodic culls of the elephant herds would be auctioned under tight controls. And by limiting sales to a single country, the policing of shipments will be much easier. Japanese buyers have pledged that they will only use the ivory domestically and will not export it. They say Western countries aren't taking into account the real problems of elephant overpopulation, and the conservation measures already into place keep the elephant from becoming endangered.