Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-08
Drive in Kenya
Seeks 10 Curb
yPoaehing

.W0TvP0dCnlng
UNITED NATIONS. N. Y.
Jan. Styling columns led by
white hunters. supplied by
parachute drops. are fighting
ivory poachers in remote areas
of Kenya. Many Of the poach-
ers. according to information
on this campaign supplied by
. the Kenya government to-
United Nations agencies. are
working for international
smuggling rings.
The poachers. mainly war
riors Of the Waliungulu and
Wakamba tribes. famed as
crackers and hunters. slaughter |
thousands Of elephants yearly.
They increased their depreda-
tons while police. game ward
ems and other security forces
were otherwise occupied against
the Mau Mau uprising,
II poaching continues at
present rates the elephant will
be wiped out from large regions
Of Kenya. Many rhinoceroses
are also killed for their horns.
Campaign Waged
A campaign against the
poachers has been going on for
about two years. leading to a
major success recently when
the raiders activities were
smashed IN the S.000-square-
mile Tsavo Park. At last re-
ports bands that had fed from
the park northward into vast.
semi-desert territories are still
being pursued by small groups
of white hunters and European
warders working with q few
"askari"-native police or
troops.
The Tsavo Park cleanup was
achieved by three columns OF
30 men each, armed with ma
chine guns and hand grenades
as well as rifles and revolverS.
They use radio-eQuipped Jeeps
or land-royers. supported by
light aircraft Of the Kenya
police air wing. These aircraft
act both as spoilers and sup
:ply troopers, parachuting food.
ammunition. sometimes water
land medical supplies 70 the
:ground columns.
! The dangers Of getting lost
lin the great trackless wilder
:nesS, Of death from thirst.
hunger and exposure. and Of
:attack from wild animals. are
,added to the risk Of clashes
with the poachers whose bands
:often considerably outnumber
THE forces of law and order.
/: Some poachers come from
prosperous settlements and use
firearms, sometimes even anes-
ithetic bullets. Many use only
primitive tribal weapons
lspears, bows and arrows. and
1.-THE vicious ''panga." q sharp.
:heavy ehopping sword.
Animals Caught In Pits
: At times poachers try to
lstampede elephant herds into
:areas where they have dug pit
traps. During the Tsavo Park
i"campaign" government war
.dens found more than 1000
Elephant carcasses in q rela-
:tively small area. The animals
.had been caught in large. elab-
iorately built pits and killed
.either with poisoned stakes
lifted In the pit bottoms, or
with poisoned spears and ar
rows.
+: The information furnished to
united Nations officials alleges
shat o number of international
rings are engaged in a lucrative
:practice Of smuggling. to the
Far East and India. elephant
:tusk ivory and rhinoceros horn
collected by the Kenya snug
:glers. Men operating the rings
:are known to include Euro
:peans. Africans. Indians. Paki-
:stanis. Syrians. Chinese and
Japanese.
F.: The rings buy ivory from the
:poaehers far inland, smuggle IL
TO the coast. then ship out illicit
:cargoes. generally In dhows.
(which sail in thousands of
:these shores and so are ex-
:tremely difficult TO supervise.
I: Ivory from elephant tusks is
lin demand throughout Asia for
carving. Many American and
canadian tourists in the Far
East have unknowingly brought
:home as souvenirs items carved
.from ivory that came from
iKenya smugglers.
!: Rhinoceros horn is widely
valued in Africa. India and the
Far East for supposedly ma
:gical, medicinal and aphrodisiac
Qualities.
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