AFRICA'S ANSWER

TO THE ELEPHANT CRISIS.

We, the EPI, comprise 21 African countries determined to end the killing of our elephants. The majority of surviving elephants live in our countries. We span the continent, from east to west, from savannah to dense forests. We are Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone. We have plans to protect our elephants, but we know any lasting solutions must incorporate the needs of people who live alongside wildlife. In November 2020 the EPI’s secretariat, the EPI Foundation, announced a new focus on the mitigation and prevention of human-elephant conflict, in recognition of the changing threats to Africa’s elephants. Read our Vision 2030 here, and see our film on the tragic consequences of human-elephant conflict around Kenya’s Amboseli National Park below.

FRIEND OF THE MONTH

February 2021

Our Friend of the Month for February is Dr Akankwasah Barirega, who is head of Uganda’s Department of Wildlife Conservation and the EPI’s National Focal Point in that country.

The EPI's Greta Iori; conservation in Africa will fail unless it adopts a new approach

March 2021

The EPI's Greta Iori appeared on Al Jazeera English with a powerful opinion piece in which she called for urgent changes in conservation.

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Greta says that if we want to save magnificent African animals like elephants, and resolve human-elephant conflict, 'it is time we address the needs of the African communities that share spaces with wildlife'

SEIZURE OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PRODUCTS BY NIGERIAN CUSTOMS OFFICIALS

February 2021

Important new details have emerged about the seizure of illegal wildlife products by Nigerian customs officials at Apapa port in Lagos in late January. Nigerian Customs Service and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency were working in collaboration with British Border Force officers when they intercepted a suspect shipping container bound for Vietnam.

"We are delighted that the EPI is re-positioning its focus and expertise to prioritise human-elephant conflict. Together we need to find sustainable solutions, where people can prosper and our remaining elephants are safe. The collapse of tourism revenue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic makes the challenge all the more urgent. We believe the EPI, with its continent-wide membership, is well placed to help find solutions"

Dr Ian Khama 
Former President of Botswana
Chair of the EPI Leadership Council